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

---
title: Wang Laboratories Wang 2200
categories:
- Computers
types:
- Professional Computer
origins:
- U.S.A.
years:
- '1973'
cpus:
- None. TTL components based.
params:
  name: Wang 2200
  image: /media/museum/photos/wang2200_1s%5B5%5D.jpg
  company: /companies/wang-laboratories
  company_name: Wang Laboratories
  specs:
  - label: NAME
    value: Wang 2200
  - label: MANUFACTURER
    value: Wang Laboratories
  - label: TYPE
    value: Professional Computer
  - label: ORIGIN
    value: U.S.A.
  - label: YEAR
    value: April 1973
  - label: BUILT IN LANGUAGE
    value: Basic
  - label: KEYBOARD
    value: QWERTY keyboard with 78 mechanical keys (included numeric keypad), plus 17 function keys
  - label: CPU
    value: None. TTL components based.
  - label: RAM
    value: 4 kB of RAM (Expandable in 4 kB increments up to 32 kB)
  - label: ROM
    value: 4 kB ROM / BASIC in 16 kB ROM
  - label: TEXT MODES
    value: 16 lines x 64 characters
  - label: GRAPHIC MODES
    value: none
  - label: COLORS
    value: black & white
  - label: SIZE / WEIGHT
    value: heavy !
  - label: BUILT IN MEDIA
    value: cassette tape
  - label: OS
    value: Wang MOS(OS), BASIC
  - label: POWER SUPPLY
    value: external on earlier models, internal on S,T,E and F models
  - label: PRICE
    value: US$8,500 (1974)
  tabs:
  - photos
  - adverts
  photos:
  - title: WANG 2200 PCS
    subtitle: ''
    text: ''
    image: /media/museum/photos/wang2200_1%5B1%5D.jpg
  - title: WANG 2200 PCS (LEFT)
    subtitle: ''
    text: ''
    image: /media/museum/photos/wang2200_pcs_left.jpg
  - title: WANG 2200 PCS (RIGHT)
    subtitle: ''
    text: ''
    image: /media/museum/photos/wang2200_pcs_right.jpg
  - title: WANG 2200 PCS (TOP)
    subtitle: ''
    text: ''
    image: /media/museum/photos/wang2200_pcs_top.jpg
  - title: WANG 2200 PCS (REAR)
    subtitle: ''
    text: ''
    image: /media/museum/photos/wang2200_pcs_rear.jpg
  - title: WANG 2200 PCS (FRONT)
    subtitle: ''
    text: ''
    image: /media/museum/photos/wang2200_pcs_front.jpg
  - title: WANG 2200 PCS CONNECTORS
    subtitle: ''
    text: ''
    image: /media/museum/photos/wang2200_pcs_connectors.jpg
  - title: CHILDREN USING AN EARLY WANG 2200
    subtitle: ''
    text: from Creative Computing dated nov.dec. 1974
    image: /media/museum/photos/wang2200_creative-computing_pic1.jpg
  adverts:
  - title: 1974 US ADVERT
    subtitle: ''
    text: from Creative Computing magazine (nov./dec. 1974)
    image: /media/museum/pubs/wang2200_pub-1974_1.jpg
  comments:
  - author: Achim Baqué (Germany)
    date: Sunday 12th September 2021
    text: Hi, I am a vintage computer collector. Please contact me (E-Mail via my website) if you have a Wang 2200 to offer.
  oc_id: 1310
  source:
    url: https://web.archive.org/web/20221205102250/http://www.old-computers.com/museum/computer.asp?c=1310
    date: '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.