 Wang 2200 Basic Computer | |
| Manufacturer | Wang Laboratories[1] |
|---|---|
| Type | minicomputer |
| Release date | May 1973[2][3] |
| Introductory price | US$7,400 (equivalent to $50,800 in 2023) |
| Units shipped | 65,000[4][5] |
| Operating system | Wang MOS(OS), BASIC |
| CPU | Transistor–transistor logic (TTL) |
| Memory | 4 KB RAM (Expandable in 4 KB increments up to 32 KB) MOS(OS) in 4 KB ROM BASIC in 16 KB ROM[6][7] |
| Storage | cassette tape storage unit |
| Display | 16 lines x 64 characters cathode ray tube (CRT)[8][9] |
| Input | Keyboard |
| Predecessor | Wang 3300 |
The Wang 2200 was an all-in-one minicomputer released by Wang Laboratories in May 1973.[10] Unlike some other desktop computers, such as the HP 9830, it had a cathode-ray tube (CRT) in a cabinet that also included an integrated computer-controlled cassette tape storage unit and keyboard.[11] It was microcoded to run BASIC on startup, making it similar to home computers of a few years later. About 65,000 systems were shipped in its lifetime and it found wide use in small and medium-size businesses worldwide.
The 2200 series evolved from a singular desktop computer into larger systems able to support up to 16 workstations which utilized commercial disk technologies that appeared in the late 1970s and early 1980s.[12] The disk subsystems could be attached to up to 15 computers giving a theoretical upper limit of 240 workstations in a single cluster.[11]
Unlike other Wang product lines such as the VS and OIS, value-added resellers (VARs) were used to customize and market 2200 systems to customers. One such 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.
- ^ Advertisement:Wang 2200, New Scientist - 18 Nov 1976 - Page 389, This computer makes medical history
- ^ Programmable Calculator Uses Basic, Costs $6,700, Computerworld - 1 Nov 1972, ...Users can get a complete Basic language oomputer system with the Wang 2200 Advanced Programmable Calculator for $6,700 from...
- ^ Advertisement:Wang 2200, Computerworld - 26 Nov 1975 - Page 13, Wang happens to make a better small computer than IBM. The Wang 2200 computer versus the IBM 5100 computer. When you make a few simple comparisons, you'll find there simply is no comparison.
- ^ Advertisement:Wang 2200, New Scientist - 14 Apr 1977 - Page 85, The Wang 2200 is now two years and 7000 units old
- ^ Wang 2200 Sales Boost Record Net, Computerworld - 7 Aug 1974 - Page 46, Wang said it has sold around 2,300 of its 2200 line since June 1973.
- ^ Advertisement:The WANG 2200, New Scientist - 14 Mar 1974 - Page 692
- ^ A Standout in Its Price Range Wang 2200VP Benchmark Results Spectacular, By Hillel Segal, Computerworld - 21 Apr 1980 - Page 12
- ^ Advertisement:Wang 2200, Computerworld - 5 Dec 1973 - Page 9, The new Wang System 2200. What you see is what you get. You get a lot for under $7,000*.
- ^ Controller Allows Wang 2200 To Emulate IBM 2780 Format, Computerworld - 3 Dec 1975 - Page 21
- ^ "Wang 2200 - Complete History of the Wang 2200 Computer". 4 January 2021.
- ^ a b "Wang 2200 Computer: Everything You Need to Know". History-Computer. 2021-01-04. Retrieved 2022-10-24.
- ^ Wang Offers End Users Portable Unit, Workstations, Esther Surden, Computerworld - 5 Apr 1976 - Page 35, ...the 2200 PCS portable system...Model 2200WS workstation...