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Wang Laboratories 400-Series Calculators
Wang Model 452 Advanced Scientific
The Wang Labs 400-Series electronic calculators were Wang's fourth generation
of electronic calculators, following the third-generation 700-series,
500-series, and 600-series. The 400-series calculators were dramatically
smaller than their predecessors through the use of Large-Scale MOS ROMs for
microcode storage (replacing the ferrite rod ROM of the earlier machines),
MOS RAM chips for main memory (replacing magnetic core memory), and the use
of medium-scale TTL devices to replace the largely small-scale devices in the
third-generation calculators. The 400-series calculators were modeled after the
Wang 600-series calculators,
offering high-level math functions (depending on the model), a large number
of memory registers, and learn-mode programmability with program step
capacity of up to 320 steps.
Although the 400-series calculators were capable, competitors, such
as Computer Design Corporation (Compucorp) and Hewlett Packard, had introduced
calculators prior to Wang's introduction of the 400-series machines in late
1972, which used more advanced technology, and offered significantly
more capability than Wang's machines. These market pressures, along with
Dr. Wang's realization that the future of electronic calculators lie in the
hands of the integrated circuit manufacturers, that led to Wang Labs
to gradually move its focus away from calculators, to the new world of
Word Processing.
Known models in the 400-series are the 450 Scientific, 452 Advanced Scientfic,
462 Statistical and the
487 Surveyor. There may be others that are as yet unknown, as it has
been difficult to find information on these machines.
The Old Calculator Museum is
intrested in acquiring these calculators, or any documentation relating
to the 400-series calculators. If you have any of these machines or
documentation, please contact the museum by clicking the EMail button
in the navigation bar at the top of this page.