Do You Remember WANG COMPUTERS and WORD PROCESSING MICROCOMPUTERS? Office Automation 1973-1981

A short non-technical look back at some of WANG's early computers and Word Processors 1973-1981.

From the 1970’s to the mid 1980’s, Wang Laboratories was a global leader in word processing and office automation. Founded in 1951 in Massachusetts, it established headquarters in Cambridge, then Tewksbury and finally Lowell, Mass. At its peak in the 1980s, annual revenue reached $3 billion, with over 33,000 employees.

IN 1955, Wang produced an early computer (WEDILOG digital differential analyzer) for U.S. Gov.

In the mid-1960s, Wang Labs introduced innovative electronic calculators, including the “logarithmic calculating instrument” or LOCI in 1964, and the programmable LOCI-2, in 1965. Wang also released a variety of products, including the successful 300, and 700 series calculators.

WORD PROCESSING and BUSINESS COMPUTING
The Wang model 1200 of 1972 could perform basic word processing functions, but lacked a CRT screen.

Wang released the Model 2200 minicomputer in May 1973. It had a video display screen, keyboard and cassette tape drive; 4k RAM and “BASIC” language built-in. The 2200 was very successful, selling over 10,000 units in the first few years.

Wang is especially remembered for its very successful Wang WPS, Word Processing System, introduced in June 1976; it sold 5,000 units in the first two years. Word Processing Computers became highly popular in the mid 1970’s and ‘80’s. By 1980, Wang dominated the dedicated word processing market.

Wang worked to integrate its OIS (Office Information Systems) line and its Wang VS (Virtual Storage) line to facilitate office automation during the late 1970's and early 1980's.

Wang products continued in use for years. Due to market losses, however, Wang filed for bankruptcy in 1992 and underwent restructuring. In 1999, Wang Global acquired by by Dutch computer firm Getronics for $2 billion. In 2007, CompuCom Systems, Inc., acquired the North American operations of Getronics.

RECOMMENDED REFERENCES FOR MORE WANG HISTORY:--------------------

The following are some excellent web resources for historical info
on Wang computers.

Datapro Research Report: Wang Laboratories 2200 Series (1981)

Vintage Computers: Wang Computers

Wang Museum Netherlands

National Museum of American History (Wang LOCI and Calculator photos)

Rhode Island Computer Museum

Computer Museum Mountain View

IEEE Computer Soc. Art.: Computer Pioneers: An Wang by J.A.N. Lee

Wang Corporate Records (Harvard)

-- Timeline of a few Key Events 1951-1976 (DRAFT) (some dates approx.)

1951 Wang Laboratories founded in Massachusetts.
1955 Wang incorporated in Delaware. An Wang was registered as president and treasurer.
1955 (May) Wang is granted a U.S. patent for “magnetic "Pulse Transfer Controlling Device,” which helped make magnetic core memory practical.
1955 WEDILOG Differential Analyzer, a vacuum tube and diode machine, is produced for the U.S. Government.
1956 (March 4) Wang sells his memory core patent to IBM for $500,000.
1958-59 Weditrol (“Wang Electronic Digital Control Units”) sold for $700 each.
1959-1963 Wang works with Compugraphic to produce the Linasec, a semi-automated phototypesetting machine.
1964 The LOCI-1 calculator is completed.
1965 LOCI-2, its first programmable scientific calculator, is released.
1965 Wang announces the 300 family of calculators. Base model sells for $1,700.
1967 Wang went public and sold 210,000 shares of common stock on NYSE.
1968 Wang announces the 700 advanced programming calculator.
1968 Wang introduces the model 4000 computer.
1970 Wang introduces the model 3300 computer.
1971 Wang introduces the Series 600 programmable calculator.
1973 Wang 2200 computer released in April (about $8,500).
1973 Wang’s rudimentary word processing machine, the 1200, is introduced.
1975 Wang WCS family 10, 20, 30 introduced. Similar architecture to the Wang 2200, but are marketed primarily to business and commercial customers.
1976 (June) Wang introduced its first CRT based word processor, the Wang WPS (Word Processing System)

[alang.]

I worked for Wang Labs as a support analyst and developer in Ireland in the late 80's as my first job. It lasted a lot longer than 1981. VS series were well engineered machines, both HW and OS, very efficient in memory use with time sharing OS, easy to use and operate. Wang WP was well designed and PACE RDB was a good competitor in the relational DB space. WIIS(imaging) was also a strong offering. In general, the company had good standards and many good people. Many patents. Fred Wang was an innovator, and did his best, but not to the standard of his father, An Wang, who was also a great driving innovative force and more business savvy. It had its heyday and was a great company for many years. I still recall the buzz of competing head to head with other strong 80's vendors including IBM in the crowded and ultimately squeezed mini-computer space.

[NYBORN]

I worked for a marketing firm in Northern California that handled all of the advertising and collateral for Intel Semiconductors in the mid-to-late 1970's. We developed a campaign that required testimonials from customers of Intel. Wang Labs was a customer. We set up an interview in the Boston area with An Wang, the founder of Wang Labs. Our Creative Director and I flew there and arrived at Wang Labs the next day. His staff was very welcoming and professional. The interview was with A Wang, along with a photo shoot. We waited for Mr. Wang to meet us somewhere in their building. When he arrived and walked in to the room, it was almost like the air was being sucked out. He had a presence like Andy Grove or Steve Jobs. Almost like a superstar. He could not have been more hospitable and supportive. I was so impressed. He asked me to take a minute with him after everything was done and said: "Tell Robert Noyce that we will stay our of the Microprocessor business if he stays out of the desktop word-processing business." To have A Wang ask me to deliver a message to Bob Noyce was a high point in my career!!

[leytonjay]

This is all a shock to me, even as a computer nerd born in 1982, I've never heard of Wang Computers except for a t-shirt reference in The Simpsons which I just thought was a play on the word Wang.

[hansvetter]

As an EE-student during my 1979 summer job in a construction office in Hamburg/Germany I had contact with a Wang 2200 system doing engineering calculations for flood protection constructions at Hamburg's habour against highest water levels of river Elbe ... I still remember my astonishment about these big data storage disks, which got sucked in by low air pressure after loading them onto the disk drive motor ... with their "gigantic" storage volumes of 5 Megabytes ... ;-)
That was so much advanced compared to the university time sharing system PDP-10 (DEC) still operating with magnetic core memory using Teletype Terminals ... storing my Algol-60 programs (e.g. runing the quick-sort algorithm) still on punch tape ... ;-)

[terrybroyles]

I was a Wang tech (they called us Customer Engineers) in the 80's. Our branch split us into WP (word processing) and DP ( data processing) . I was a DP tech and worked on 2200 and VS hardware.

[Antonio-wlyf]

I worked with one of these in 1978. My machine didn't have a floppy disk and we used the dual cassette tape drive to do data sorting. It was a hell of a tec-tec 🤣🥰

[orinokonx]

My first computer was a second hand Wang Labs PC-260, a 286 IBM Compatible computer from 1989. I still have it!

It's getting a bit tired nowadays, but I have very fond memories of playing Space Quest on it for many hours. My Dad used it as an office machine for a short period of time, as well.

[KK-pqlu]

Wow. My Wang predates those in this video.

[wizdude]

The most memorable Wang moment that sticks in my mind was their 80’s advertising campaign with the slogan “Wang Cares”. When the marketing material arrived in Australia and the UK it was greeted with massive laughter. Seems like nobody checked it would be confused by some colloquial slang in these countries :-)

[zeenohaquo]

wow. never heard of Wang. great video.

[captainkeyboard]

I had my first exposure to a Wang OIS word processor at a former school called Control Data Institute in 1988. I really needed not to attend school because I possessed typewriting skills since I was 12 years old. The word processor gave me appreciation for electronic office machines more than card punch machines and key-to-disc data terminals. Now that I do word processing and other business tasks on the microcomputer, I will have no need to even think of looking back.

[hirnfaser]

2:34 can you help me find the source for these images where the wang WPS is in an office? could really use them for my thesis. ty!

[mrbrent]

I worked on a Wang VS65. They were being put in the US Postal service in the early 80's. The Memphis Data Center had 2 Wang VS 100's which mirrored each other. I got to see all of these machines.

[SteveMacSticky]

🎼 Everybody have fun tonight, Everybody Wang Chung tonight 🎼

[rebeccagutierrez]

The first computer I ever worked on was a Wang System 30 when I was in business college in Chicago. That was like in 1982.

[johnmendez]

I worked for Wang from 1979 through 1989 Field Service Rep and my last three years Product Support Engineering Technician at Wang Tower in Lowell

[jenniferthomas]

Many people used a Wang as the 1st computer they ever used in their high school.

[glennso]

I remember when I worked in the office of an insurance company processing claims by hand. There was a computer in the office but no one was permitted to touch it except the supervisors. This was in the early 70s.

[Consure]

I'm probably on the younger side of those who know of WANG. My mom worked at a high tech company which did Remote Sensing (creating the hardware/software for manipulating image data from satellites starting somewhere in the late 70's)... Her office had just moved to IBM PC's and put the WANG terminal in a corner as a backup system / during transition. This was approx mid 80's. So whenever we visited the office, I'd get to play on the WANG. I specifically remember the green screen (I believe PM-004-B terminal) and menu where you'd choose a number to do something. I'd make pictures similar to ASCII art you see today in the Word Processor or play games. Too bad I wasn't old enough to take the whole system once the time came for them to remove it fully from the office!

There is also a great little book (intended for children doing research) Dr. An Wang: Computer Pioneer (People of Distinction Biographies) Library Binding – January 1, 1993 you can find on Amazon. Sad to see it taken out of libraries but I guess not super relevant these days.

[cmonkey]

I remember the Wang brand of computers from the mid-80s, but knew nothing about the company until now. Good gear, from what I recall.