WANG 600, 700 and 720 programmable desktop calculators in Achim Baqué’s vintage computer collection.
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The WANG 600, 700, and 720 — Pioneers of Programmable Desktop Calculators
Wang Laboratories, founded by Dr. An Wang in the 1950s, was a pioneer in the development of programmable desktop calculators. Before personal computers became affordable and widespread, Wang’s machines filled the gap between mechanical calculators and full-scale computers, bringing powerful, programmable computing right to the desktop.
The WANG 600 — A Programmable All-Rounder
Introduced in the early 1970s, the WANG 600 built on the success of Wang’s earlier 300 series. It provided engineers, scientists, and accountants with a practical way to automate repetitive calculations that were previously done manually and prone to error.
The WANG 600 featured a programmable keyboard, a numeric display (often using Nixie tubes or early LED displays), and built-in program storage. Users could save and reload their programs using magnetic cards, a significant advantage at a time when general-purpose computers were still expensive and not easily accessible for everyday office use.
The WANG 700 Series — More Power for Professionals
The WANG 700 and its enhanced version, the WANG 720, represented the next step forward in programmable desktop computing. Released in the mid-1970s, the 700 series offered more memory, faster processing, and more sophisticated programming capabilities.
The WANG 700 featured a full keyboard with dedicated function keys, making it easier to write and store complex programs. Users could include loops, branching, and multiple stored programs, features that blurred the line between a calculator and a true computer.
The WANG 720 added even more memory and speed, which made it particularly useful for technical and scientific tasks that required fast and accurate handling of large calculations. Like the 600, the 700 series could be expanded with peripherals such as printers, magnetic card readers, and cassette drives for storing larger programs.
Impact and Legacy
The WANG 600, 700, and 720 models were crucial stepping stones in the evolution from mechanical calculators to modern desktop computers. They gave offices, engineering firms, and labs access to affordable, programmable computing, without the need for large mainframes or dedicated computer rooms.
Many professionals first experienced the basics of programming on these Wang machines. This early exposure helped lay the groundwork for the acceptance of microcomputers and personal computers that would soon follow in the late 1970s and early 1980s.
While Wang Laboratories later shifted its focus to word processing systems and minicomputers, its innovative calculators remain an important part of computing history. They demonstrated that powerful computing could be practical, compact, and tailored to everyday professional tasks.
In summary, the WANG 600, 700, and 720 represent an important era when programmable desktop calculators brought advanced computing power to ordinary desks, paving the way for the personal computer revolution that transformed how we work, calculate, and communicate today.
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