Computers & Business Machines

Wang LOCI-2 Electronic Calculator

Description

One of the first programmable electronic calculators, this instrument was announced in 1964 and sold from 1965. It was designed by An Wang (1920-1990) and his associates. Wang, a native of Shanghai, immigrated to the United States after World War II, studied computer science at Harvard University, and worked at the Harvard Computation Laboratory. He started his own business in 1951, producing magnetic core memories and other electronic equipment on order. The LOCI or “logarithmic calculating instrument” was the first product marketed by the company. Two versions of the machine were announced: the LOCI I, which was not programmable, and the LOCI II, which was.

The desktop machine has nine digit keys arranged in an array, as well as a zero bar and a decimal point key. Depressing other keys changes the sign of the number, shifts the decimal point, shifts from the logarithmic to the work register, and shifts from the work to the logarithmic register. Further keys are for arithmetic operations, squares, square roots, inverse squares, inverse square roots, inverse logarithms, and clearance of various registers. To the right are controls for the decrement counter, the program counter, and the operation code. According to company advertising, the machine offers ten-digit precision in addition and subtraction and eight-digit precision in multiplication, division, exponentiation, root extraction, and logarithm computation. It has five storage registers of ten-digit capacity and a ten-digit display, plus a display for the sign of the answer. A cooling fan and a cord are at the back. The card reader attachment that plugs into the back holds program cards.

A tag on the front of the machine reads: LOCI-2. A tag on the back reads: ELECTRONIC SYSTEMS AND DEVICES (/) LOCI II (/) MODEL NO. 2AB (/) SERIAL NO. 2734 (/) TEWKSBURY, MASS. U.S.A. A paper tag on the back of the machine indicates that it was serviced 4/28/68, 9/12/68, and 2/9/71.

According to a 1964 flier, the machine was to sell for $4,750.00. Kenney says that the initial price was $6,500. Wang Laboratories would go on to sell the 300 series of calculators (from 1966) and the 700 series (from 1969), and to manufacture minicomputers and networked microcomputers.

For related objects and documents, see 1980.0096.02 through 1980.0096.10.

Compare 1980.0096.01 with the later 1983.0171.01 (a Wang Series 700 calculator), and the even later 2011.0022.01 (a Wang Series 600 calculator).

References:

There is an extensive discussion of the LOCI II at the website of the Old Calculator Museum. See:http://www.oldcalculatormuseum.com/wangloci.html

Wang Laboratories, Inc., “LOCI-2 Open New Vistas to your Personal Computing . . .,” Tewksbury, Ma., 1964. This is 1980.0096.08. A similar leaflet describes the LOCI-1 and has museum number 1980.0096.07.

Charles C. Kenney, Riding the Runaway Horse: The Rise and Decline of Wang Laboratories, Boston: Little, Brown and Co., 1992.

date made

1965 or later

date received

1980

maker

Wang Laboratories

ID Number

1980.0096.01

catalog number

1980.0096.01

accession number

1980.0096

Data Source

National Museum of American History

Wang 600 Electronic Calculator

Description

This desktop programmable printing calculator has a variety of digit and function keys. Above these, on the right side, is a space that holds a cassette tape. Left of this is a small display screen. Above the screen is the printing mechanism with a paper tape 9 cm. (3 1/2") wide. A metal tag glued to the front left reads: WANG 600. A sticker on the back of the machine reads: WANG LABORATORIES INC (/) TEWKSBURY MASS U.S.A. Another mark there reads: MODEL 600 2TP (/) SERIAL NUMBER CC5187.

An electric cord extends from the back. The machine has a plastic cover. The dimensions given do not include cord and cover.

Chinese-born An Wang (1920–1990) came to the United States after World War II to do graduate work at Harvard University. Not wishing to return to a Communist regime, he stayed on to work at the Harvard Computation Laboratory, where he and Way Dong Woo invented magnetic core memory, an important improvement in computer memory for the time. Wang soon left Harvard to establish Wang Laboratories. In the mid-1960s, he invented a transistorized logarithmic electronic calculator that would sell in several forms. The Wang 600 is a modified and less expensive version of the earlier Wang 700. Wang soon turned his attention to the manufacture of minicomputers.

The Smithsonian’s Conservation Analytical Laboratory acquired this Wang 600 in about 1974. When it was replaced in 1983, it was transferred to the NMAH historical collections.

Compare 1983.0171.01, a Wang 700 series calculator, and 1980.0096.01, a Wang LOCI 2.

Reference:

Accession File.

Location

Currently not on view

date made

1974

maker

Wang Laboratories

ID Number

2011.0022.01

accession number

2011.0022

catalog number

2011.0022.01

Data Source

National Museum of American History

Wang Loci-2 Card Reader

Description

The Wang LOCI II is one of relatively few calculators that had a variety of peripheral equipment. Included in the price of the machine was this metal card reader, painted light blue. It read specially designed punched program cards. A card is in the reader.

A mark on the bottom of the card reader reads: Wang Laboratories, Inc. (/) ELECTRONIC SYSTEMS AND DEVICES (/) LOCI CARD READER (/) MODEL NO. [blank] (/) SERLAL NO. 22806 (/) TEWKSBURY, MASS. U.S.A.

For further information about the LOCI II, see 1980.0096.01.

Location

Currently not on view

date made

1965 or later

maker

Wang Laboratories

ID Number

1980.0096.01.1

accession number

1980.0096

catalog number

1980.0096.01.1

Data Source

National Museum of American History

Wang 700 Electronic Calculator

Description

In March of 1968, An Wang saw a prototype of Hewlett-Packard’s HP9100 programmable desktop calculator. This machine reduced the task of finding many scientific functions from programming to pushing a key. In response, Wang Laboratories announced plans for a new set of calculators for the scientific and engineering communities, the series 700 advanced programming calculator. The instrument came on the market in mid-1969.

A large keyboard at the front of the machine includes keys for entering digits, carrying out arithmetic operations, and finding squares, square roots, and reciprocals. A separate key enters the number pi. Another set of keys performs operations for both logarithms and exponents in base e and base 10. Special function keys above the digit keys are set for trigonometric and hyperbolic functions. A tape cassette on the right above the keyboard allows for entering programs via magnetic tape. Left of the tape drive is a Nixie tube display that shows up to twelve digits in two registers, followed by the sign of the exponent and the exponent.

A mark on the front left of the calculator reads: WANG. A metal tag at the back reads: Wang Laboratories, Inc. (/) ELECTRONIC CALCULATOR (/) MODEL NO. 700C (/) SERIAL No. 811055-C (/) TEWKSBURY, MASS. U.S.A. Marks on the rightmost column of keys confirm that is a model Wang 700C, having debugging features characteristic of that machine. It was released in 1972. A paper sticker on the right back reads: JUL 8 1970 [sic]. The July date is scribbled over one reading JUN 3. Hence the object dates from at least 1970, most probably about 1972.

Documentation received with the calculator dates from 1969, 1970, and 1972.

Reference:

An extensive discussion of the Wang 720C advanced programming calculator is at The Old Calculator Web Museum.

Location

Currently not on view

date made

ca 1972

maker

Wang Laboratories

ID Number

1983.0171.01

catalog number

1983.0171.01

accession number

1983.0171

Data Source

National Museum of American History

Visual Commuter Computer

Description

This portable microcomputer, named Commuter, has an off-white case with a fixed black handle. To raise the lid, latches on each side of the case are released simultaneously. Inside the lid, the 80 x 16 liquid crystal display (LCD) plugs in via a RJ11 cable to a connector just above the keyboard. The keyboard has 83 keys with a numeric pad to the right and a 10 function key pad to the left. Behind the keyboard, built into the case are two 360K 5¼” floppy disk drives. Above the keyboard on the left is the Commuter logo. A handwritten sticker on the outside rear of the computer notes that the memory was upgraded to 512K, the maximum amount allowed. The LCD display could be removed entirely and replaced by a larger external monitor for office or home use.

The IBM compatible unit uses the MS-DOS 2.1 operating system and an Intel 8088 processor. Although it has no internal expansion slots, it has 6 ports on the rear for cables that would connect to other devises. These ports include: 63 pin expansion, 24 pin asynchronous, 25 pin asynchronous/synchronous, parallel printer, RGB monochrome video (for an external monitor), and a composite video (for a color monitor).

Visual Computer Incorporated introduced the “Commuter” model in November 1983. Advertised as “Portable, IBM Compatible, Powerful, Affordable,” it weighed 16 pounds and sold for $1995. Visual ran ads in PC Magazine, Computerworld, and the American Bar Association Journal appealing to business executives who needed a computer when they traveled--the Commuter was a briefcase-sized portable computer with a handle.

The objects in accession 2017.0321, non-accessions 2017.3153 and 2018.3076 are related.

References:

PC Magazine, April 17, 1984. Advertisement pages 110-111.

Computerworld, June 11, 1984. Advertisement pages 68-69.

American Bar Association Journal, September 1984, Volume 70. Advertisement pages 22-23.

Location

Currently not on view

date made

1983

ID Number

2017.0321.01

accession number

2017.0321

catalog number

2017.0321.01

Data Source

National Museum of American History