Its true they wont have enough data for most. I guess we should give them time. i agree that although google is the king, remember google beat other search engines due to its innovative approach and relevant results.If Wolfram Alpha provides better results google will see a decline. Although for research google will still be the best option
The site isn't really a "search engine" http://www99.wolframalpha.com/input/?i=1+++1++/+1241241+++f313r13r+/+x+-+y
Every 'niche' search engine will be out of business soon enough - google is slowly implementing almost all the niche features in the search market today.
You are wrong, google invested lots of money for their brand awareness, not related to their algorithm. yes, they made the up and down arrow social button, but then what? Everybody can do that. Check "diet pills" keyword on Google, check the first result, consumerpricewatch.net. They got backlinks from paid blog posts, even from unrelated blogs, but they are always there. A proof google algorithm is getting better?
Too funny. No one has the bucks to kill Google. It all boils down to money. Instead of hating Google Love Google, stoke Google make it PURRRRRRRR. MEOW MEOW
Nobody is or ever will be a "real competitor to google", as you put it, other then maybe Yahoo and MSN. IF, they work together to do it.
I really think and keep on hoping that one day a great new website will came up and provide a better search functionality than Google, but i don't really think this day came yet
I tried Wolframalpha too...Its good for some statistical search or something.... like gdp of a particular country and it will show all related statistics and stuff like that... Is it a google killer?.....Hell No
maybe they will introduce spidering as well. But spidering will make it just another search engine and not the one mathematica intends it to be.