The U.S. Government Printing Office reports that the mobile application it developed for this year’s release of the 2013 Federal Budget proposal to Congress drew 53,000 visits in the first 24 hours of being posted — a surprising volume given the arcane nature and scope of the annual budget document.

The GPO application, available at http://m.gpo.gov/budget, features mobile friendly text versions of the president’s budget message, along with additional commentaries on building the economy, cutting waste, reducing the deficit and investing in the future.

The app also links visitors to summaries of budget recommendations for each of 24 major departments and agencies, and provides links to GPO’s Federal Digital System (FDsys) where summary tables and additional books of the FY 2013 Federal Budget, including the Analytical Perspectives, Appendix, and Historical Tables are available.

The free mobile Web app is available on major mobile device platforms, including iOS 4.3 and above, Android 2.2 and above, and Blackberry OS version 6.0 and above.

GPO officials said the response to the mobile Federal Budget app exceeded the response generated by its first mobile, a Mobile Member Guide for the 112th Congress.

“GPO is committed to keeping America informed through any platform that meets the needs of our customers,” said Acting Public Printer Davita Vance-Cooks. “Apps are the next step in the evolution of accessing information and GPO is here to provide that avenue to the public.”

The digital versions of the budget represent a significant savings to the public, and to GPO, which is responsible for the production and distribution of information and official publication for all three branches of the federal government.

Those wanting printed versions of the budget, can order them online at GPO’s online bookstore , at the following prices:

Budget of the U.S. Government: $38
Budget Appendix: $75
Analytical Perspectives: $52
Historical Tables: $49
CD-ROM: $27