website/content/museum/wang-laboratories-wang-2200.md

title, categories, types, origins, years, cpus, params

title	categories	types	origins	years	cpus	params
Wang Laboratories Wang 2200	Computers	Professional Computer	U.S.A.	1973	None. TTL components based.	name image company company_name specs tabs forum_thread photos adverts oc_id source Wang 2200 /media/museum/photos/wang2200_1s%5B5%5D.jpg /companies/wang-laboratories Wang Laboratories label value NAME Wang 2200 label value MANUFACTURER Wang Laboratories label value TYPE Professional Computer label value ORIGIN U.S.A. label value YEAR April 1973 label value BUILT IN LANGUAGE Basic label value KEYBOARD QWERTY keyboard with 78 mechanical keys (included numeric keypad), plus 17 function keys label value CPU None. TTL components based. label value RAM 4 kB of RAM (Expandable in 4 kB increments up to 32 kB) label value ROM 4 kB ROM / BASIC in 16 kB ROM label value TEXT MODES 16 lines x 64 characters label value GRAPHIC MODES none label value COLORS black & white label value SIZE / WEIGHT heavy ! label value BUILT IN MEDIA cassette tape label value OS Wang MOS(OS), BASIC label value POWER SUPPLY external on earlier models, internal on S,T,E and F models label value PRICE US$8,500 (1974) photos adverts 1275 title subtitle text image WANG 2200 PCS /media/museum/photos/wang2200_1%5B1%5D.jpg title subtitle text image WANG 2200 PCS (LEFT) /media/museum/photos/wang2200_pcs_left.jpg title subtitle text image WANG 2200 PCS (RIGHT) /media/museum/photos/wang2200_pcs_right.jpg title subtitle text image WANG 2200 PCS (TOP) /media/museum/photos/wang2200_pcs_top.jpg title subtitle text image WANG 2200 PCS (REAR) /media/museum/photos/wang2200_pcs_rear.jpg title subtitle text image WANG 2200 PCS (FRONT) /media/museum/photos/wang2200_pcs_front.jpg title subtitle text image WANG 2200 PCS CONNECTORS /media/museum/photos/wang2200_pcs_connectors.jpg title subtitle text image CHILDREN USING AN EARLY WANG 2200 from Creative Computing dated nov.dec. 1974 /media/museum/photos/wang2200_creative-computing_pic1.jpg title subtitle text image 1974 US ADVERT from Creative Computing magazine (nov./dec. 1974) /media/museum/pubs/wang2200_pub-1974_1.jpg 1310 url date https://web.archive.org/web/20221205102250/http://www.old-computers.com/museum/computer.asp?c=1310 2022-12-05

The Wang 2200 appeared in May 1973, and was Wang Laboratories' first minicomputer that could perform data processing in a common computer language: BASIC. It had a cathode ray tube (CRT) built-in its case and also an integrated computer-controlled cassette tape storage unit. 65,000 systems were shipped in its lifetime and it found wide use in small and medium-size businesses worldwide.

There has been quite several diffent models of the 2200:
- 2200A : first models released in 1973
- 2200B : offers additional commands in Wang BASIC, mostly related to data handling
- 2200C : added a small number of additional commands, including basic error handling.
- 2200S : new LSI CPU, and more commands to convert strings to and from numbers
- 2200T : same as the S model, plus a complete set of matrix math commands
- 2200 WCS : model "T" + tape/disk/hard-disk + terminal all integrated in a furniture table
- 2200 PCS : stands for Personal Computer System. Released in 1976, electronic has been redesigned to fit into the terminal case. It's the model pictured here.
- 2200 WS : PCS whithout tape or disk, meant to be connected to a 2200 WCS configured with a disk multiplexer
- 2200 PCS II : a PCS system that had a dual 5.25" floppy disk system bolted on top of the terminal. Released in june 1977.

One interesting feature of the PCS II model, is that it was this computer that the 5.25" floppy disk was invented for! Wang decided that 8" drives would be too cumbersome for this class of machine, so they contacted Shugart for development of the smaller drives and media.

Unlike the other product lines such as the VS and OIS, Wang Laboratories aggressively used value-added resellers (VARs) to customize and market 2200 systems. One such creative solution deployed dozens of 2200 systems and was developed in conjunction with Hawaii and Hong Kong-based firm, Algorithms, Inc. It provided paging (beeper) services for much of the Hong Kong market in the early 1980s.