Language-specific CPUs was Re: uIEC/SD == AWESOME!

Allison wrote: Yes, the Wang 2200-series machines used a microcoded architecture that implemented a BASIC interpreter as a native "language". These machines were an extension of the architecture developed for the Wang 700-series electronic calculators. It's an interesting twist of fate. Wang hadn't intended to make an advanced scientific calculator, as the thought was that their 300-Series calculators were all that they needed. Dr. Wang felt that the important market was in computers, and had a development effort underway to make a computer that was to compete with IBM's System/360. It was Dr. Wang's intent to have Wang become the largest computer company in the world. However, when Hewlett Packard introduced the HP 9100A calculator, it immediately took most of the market share away from Wang in the scientific calculator marketplace, where Wang was the leader. This quickly put Wang into a cash crunch, as they had a hard time selling the 300-Series machines. The efforts to develop a computer were quickly re-targeted -- it was mandated that the basic computer design (a microcoded architecture) was to be refitted to serve as an advanced programmable calculator. This became the Wang 700-Series calculators (as well as follow-on machines such as the 500-Series, 600-Series, and later 400- and C-Series machines). While the 700-Series machines did help rescue Wang's calculator business, the real savior for Wang's stockholders was the introduction of Wang's word processing equipment, also based on much the same microcoded architecture as the 700-Series calculators. As it became clear that calculators were becoming a commodity market, driven mainly by semiconductor manufacturers who had the resources to fabricate LSI calculator chipsets, and later single-chip implementations, Wang Labs revisited building a computer at a much "smaller" level than going after IBM. The 2200-series BASIC computers (although Wang initially marketed them as "calculators") were the result. The architecture went from computer, to calculator, and back to computer, with sidelines into word processors. Check out Jim Battle's http://www.wang2200.org . There's even an emulator of the 2200 that actually runs the actual 2200 microcode! Rick Bensene The Old Calculator Museum http://oldcalculatormuseum.com