1 Oct
2002
1 Oct
'02
6:05 a.m.
Hello one and all.
For the past three or four years, I've actively been looking for a first
generation Wang 2200 computer. I actually have two now, mostly
working. Over the past couple of months I acquired/developed all the
technical information I needed to write an emulator.
The emulator is far from complete, but it is quite usable. Besides the
emulator, I've overhauled my Wang web site and added a lot more
content. Now that the ball is rolling, I hope to maintain it more actively.
The web site:
http://www.thebattles.net/wang/wang.html
The emulator:
http://www.thebattles.net/wang/emu.html
The emulator runs on win32 platforms right now, but I wrote it using a
GUI/system abstraction toolkit, wxWindows, so it should be pretty portable
to unix/linux/mac at least.
If you have no nostalgia for the 2200, why is it interesting anyway? The
first generation came out in 1973. Because it was designed before
microprocessors were available, it is a microcoded TTL box. In many ways,
it can be compared pretty fairly to home computers that came five years
later. Because it predates Microsoft, it has a rich and quirky BASIC dialect.
Unfortunately, I don't have any Wang BASIC documents online yet, but I do
have a quick comparison of Wang BASIC vs early Microsoft BASIC.
-----
Jim Battle == frustum(a)pacbell.net
16 Oct
16 Oct
7:41 p.m.
I've been adding more stuff to my archive of information on the first
generation of Wang 2200's. The most meaty things I've added are:
1) a description of the microarchitecture of its custom CPU
http://www.thebattles.net/wang/uarch.html
2) which was largely derived from a 2200 service manual
http://www.thebattles.net/wang/2200tech/2200_service_manual.pdf
http://www.thebattles.net/wang/2200tech/2200_service_manual.djvu
3) a write up about the little known Wang 3300, a precursor of the
2200. It was aimed at the PDP-8 market. Unlike the 2200, it was a general
purpose CPU and BASIC wasn't built in; it had to be loaded from paper
tape. The BASIC supported up to 16 simultaneous users.
http://www.thebattles.net/wang/3300.html
That page also has some scans of press releases and a brochure on the machine.
Next up, I hope to scan some 2200 BASIC manuals and have them on-line in a
week or two.
-----
Jim Battle == frustum(a)pacbell.net
17 Oct
17 Oct
4:07 a.m.
Jim, do you have anything on the CS line? I haven't even seen one of those.
On Wed, 16 Oct 2002, Jim Battle wrote:
I've been adding more stuff to my archive of
information on the first
generation of Wang 2200's. The most meaty things I've added are:
1) a description of the microarchitecture of its custom CPU
http://www.thebattles.net/wang/uarch.html
2) which was largely derived from a 2200 service manual
http://www.thebattles.net/wang/2200tech/2200_service_manual.pdf
http://www.thebattles.net/wang/2200tech/2200_service_manual.djvu
3) a write up about the little known Wang 3300, a precursor of the
2200. It was aimed at the PDP-8 market. Unlike the 2200, it was a general
purpose CPU and BASIC wasn't built in; it had to be loaded from paper
tape. The BASIC supported up to 16 simultaneous users.
http://www.thebattles.net/wang/3300.html
That page also has some scans of press releases and a brochure on the machine.
Next up, I hope to scan some 2200 BASIC manuals and have them on-line in a
week or two.
-----
Jim Battle == frustum(a)pacbell.net
M. K. Peirce
Rhode Island Computer Museum, Inc.
Shady Lea, Rhode Island
"Casta est quam nemo rogavit."
- Ovid
6:26 a.m.
At 09:08 AM 10/17/02 -0400, "Merle K. Peirce" wrote:
Jim, do you have anything on the CS line? I
haven't even seen one of those.
Merle --
I don't, and I don't think I ever will. My interest in the Wang is
confined to the first generation machines. The VS machines were well after
my time and were radically different than the first generation
machines. Simply, the nostalgia factor is entirely missing.
Here is somebody who does have one, though; in fact, he has a lot of
different Wangs:
http://home.wxs.nl/~janvdv/wang/wangmuseum.htm
-----
Jim Battle == frustum(a)pacbell.net
8:23 a.m.
No Jim, not VS's - the CS line which has to fairly rare. Sometoime in
the mid to late 80's Wang was preparing to discontinue the 2200 line.
The uproar was so great and resistance so determined that the 2200's were
redesigned with more contemporary technology and offered as CS machines.
I have never see one, but I have read the article in Access to Wang. I
believe the machines were completely 2200 compatible.
On Thu, 17 Oct 2002, Jim Battle wrote:
At 09:08 AM 10/17/02 -0400, "Merle K.
Peirce" wrote:
M. K. Peirce
Rhode Island Computer Museum, Inc.
Shady Lea, Rhode Island
"Casta est quam nemo rogavit."
- Ovid
Jim, do you have anything on the CS line? I
haven't even seen one of those.
Merle --
I don't, and I don't think I ever will. My interest in the Wang is
confined to the first generation machines. The VS machines were well after
my time and were radically different than the first generation
machines. Simply, the nostalgia factor is entirely missing.
Here is somebody who does have one, though; in fact, he has a lot of
different Wangs:
http://home.wxs.nl/~janvdv/wang/wangmuseum.htm
-----
Jim Battle == frustum(a)pacbell.net
5:42 p.m.
At 01:24 PM 10/17/02 -0400, Merle K. Pierce wrote:
No Jim, not VS's - the CS line which has to fairly
rare. Sometoime in
the mid to late 80's Wang was preparing to discontinue the 2200 line.
The uproar was so great and resistance so determined that the 2200's were
redesigned with more contemporary technology and offered as CS machines.
I have never see one, but I have read the article in Access to Wang. I
believe the machines were completely 2200 compatible.
OK, I probably am very confused about the Wang line after I stopped using
them. However, it still stands that if you want to see one, follow the
link below.
On Thu, 17 Oct 2002, Jim Battle wrote:
-----
Jim Battle == frustum(a)pacbell.net
At 09:08 AM 10/17/02 -0400, "Merle K.
Peirce" wrote:
>Jim, do you have anything on the CS line? I haven't even seen one of
those.
Merle --
I don't, and I don't think I ever will. My interest in the Wang is
confined to the first generation machines. The VS machines were well
after
my time and were radically different than the
first generation
machines. Simply, the nostalgia factor is entirely missing.
Here is somebody who does have one, though; in fact, he has a lot of
different Wangs:
http://home.wxs.nl/~janvdv/wang/wangmuseum.htm
-----
Jim Battle == frustum(a)pacbell.net
M. K. Peirce
Rhode Island Computer Museum, Inc.
Shady Lea, Rhode Island
"Casta est quam nemo rogavit."
- Ovid
6:29 p.m.
I followed the link, and there are CS pictures, apparently using 4230
terminals. These are the first that I've ever seen.
Interesting that they use 386's.
On Thu, 17 Oct 2002, Jim Battle wrote:
At 01:24 PM 10/17/02 -0400, Merle K. Pierce wrote:
M. K. Peirce
Rhode Island Computer Museum, Inc.
Shady Lea, Rhode Island
"Casta est quam nemo rogavit."
- Ovid
No Jim, not VS's - the CS line which has to
fairly rare. Sometoime in
the mid to late 80's Wang was preparing to discontinue the 2200 line.
The uproar was so great and resistance so determined that the 2200's were
redesigned with more contemporary technology and offered as CS machines.
I have never see one, but I have read the article in Access to Wang. I
believe the machines were completely 2200 compatible.
OK, I probably am very confused about the Wang line after I stopped using
them. However, it still stands that if you want to see one, follow the
link below.
On Thu, 17 Oct 2002, Jim Battle wrote:
-----
Jim Battle == frustum(a)pacbell.net
At 09:08 AM 10/17/02 -0400, "Merle K.
Peirce" wrote:
>Jim, do you have anything on the CS line? I haven't even seen one of
those.
Merle --
I don't, and I don't think I ever will. My interest in the Wang is
confined to the first generation machines. The VS machines were well
after
my time and were radically different than the
first generation
machines. Simply, the nostalgia factor is entirely missing.
Here is somebody who does have one, though; in fact, he has a lot of
different Wangs:
http://home.wxs.nl/~janvdv/wang/wangmuseum.htm
-----
Jim Battle == frustum(a)pacbell.net
M. K. Peirce
Rhode Island Computer Museum, Inc.
Shady Lea, Rhode Island
"Casta est quam nemo rogavit."
- Ovid
7944
days inactive
7960
days old
6 comments
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