Subject: DOS/Windows for Wang Professional Computer (not a PC clone)?

From: "Dr. Ido" <[email-masked]>
Date: Fri May 30 12:05:00 2003

Recently I picked up a Wang Professional Computer.  Can't find a model
number on it anywhere.  It 8086 based, 256KB RAM, 360KB FDD, 10MB HDD.

It runs MS-DOS 2.11, but it is not PC compatible.  

A long time before I got this machine I found some software for it.  A box
of original disks all marked "Wang Professional Computer".  It includes 2
versions of the integrated word processor, MS Chart, DOS3.2 and Windows
1.03.  Both versions of the word processor run, ms chart bombs saying I
have the wrong graphics card.  Neither DOS 3.2 nor Windows 1.03 will
install.  DOS 3.2 just hangs the machine, Windows 1.03 bombs with an
interrupt error.  The disks seem to read okay. 

Anyone know what I'm doing wrong or have working copies?

I vaugely remember seeing pictures of this machine in the Windows launch
issue of Byte. Though it would be cool to have windows running on something
other than a PC clone.  I think I've even got a copy Balance of Power for
Win 1.x around here somewhere.

---

From: "TeoZ" <[email-masked]>
Date: Fri May 30 13:13:04 2003

That was a machine that came out before compaq clones the IBM bios.
Dont think it is anywhere near pc compatible.

---

From: "Dr. Ido" <[email-masked]>
Date: Fri May 30 14:27:01 2003

>Dont think it is anywhere near pc compatible.

I know it's not PC compatible (well there is a PC compatibilty card for it,
but that's not what I am referring to).  What I'd like to find are the
versions of DOS 3.2 (possible) and Windows 1.03 (unlikely) that are native
to this machine. 

Weren't there other non-PC versions of Windows 1.x?  DEC Rainbow? Tandy 2000?

I'm sure I've read about those versions, seen screenshots even.  Never
actually seen any of them running in the flesh though.

---

From: David Comley <[email-masked]>
Date: Fri May 30 15:12:00 2003

Is the the green screen 'Wang Classic' computer ? If
so, I don't believe that a Windows port was ever
available for it.

There were later Wang machines that supported Windows;
these were PC clones. I had one of these around
1986/1987 that ran Windows 1.03 IIRC. There was also a
port of the Wang Word Processing software that ran on
the later PC compatible models. But for the Wang
Classic I think you'd be limited to their flavour of
MS-DOS due to the BIOS differences.

Regards,

Dave
--- "Dr. Ido" <[email-masked]> wrote:
> >> issue of Byte. Though it would be cool to have
> windows running on
> >something

---

From: [email-masked] (Tony Duell)
Date: Fri May 30 17:39:01 2003

> Weren't there other non-PC versions of Windows 1.x?  DEC Rainbow? Tandy 2000?

There was certainly a version for the HP150 (maybe HP150-II only). I have it.

> actually seen any of them running in the flesh though.  

I've tried it, but it's pretty unpleasant...

-tony

---

From: "Dr. Ido" <[email-masked]>
Date: Fri May 30 23:24:01 2003

>MS-DOS due to the BIOS differences.

I have the mono card with green monitor on my wang, but there is a color
card/monitor for them.

Was the Wang PC clone that you had also called a Wang Professional?  If so
then I probably do just have PC versions of DOS 3.2 and Win 1.03.  

I thought I might have got lucky, as both the box and the disks are marked
"Wang Professional Computer Series".

---

From: David Comley <[email-masked]>
Date: Sat May 31 07:12:00 2003

> then I probably do just have PC versions of DOS 3.2

I *think* that the Wang Professional designation
appeared on all the desktop machines, both PC and
non-PC variants, and it also appeared on most of the
5.25" media that I had for both machines. I also think
that the unit I had was a '280'. There was also a
'350' which had a smaller footprint and probably a 386
processor.

> "Wang Professional Computer Series".

I wish I could help you with software but stupidly I
ditched all my 5.25" media when I left the UK about 10
years ago. At one time I had Lotus 1-2-3, and dbase,
along with the Wang IWP package, and I had various
games including Pacman that had been ported over. But
you may still get lucky.

We used Wang equipment in conjunction with VS80s (and
later VS models) for e-mail internally as well as disk
and print serving. Did you also get the VS networking
card ?

Dave

---

From: "Dr. Ido" <[email-masked]>
Date: Sat May 31 14:18:00 2003

>games including Pacman that had been ported over. But

I've got a versions 2.6 and 3.0 of the IWP among the original floppies I
have, I think there's an older version on the HDD.  Also got the original
floppy for MS Chart, though it won't run as I don't have the right video
card.  I asks for a "medium resolution card and monitor", I've never heard
of any PC video card described like that so I'm pretty sure it's the wang
version.  

It also has Lotus 123 1.x, BASIC and the menu shell on the HDD.  I think
all the external commands and utilities usually supplied with DOS are
intact.  

If I can find the floppies I made 10 years or so ago when I last had one of
these I should also have Solution 6 (some accounting package), Viatel
(videotext) terminal software, and maybe another version of DOS.  

If anyone else needs anyone of this I can email copies. 

I've never seen any Wang native games, though I do remember getting Infocom
text adventures and NetHack running.  Did the games you have actually have
graphics or did they just use ASCII characters ala NetHack?

>and print serving. Did you also get the VS networking

I have those cards in the past (a two card set with BNC/TNC connectors from
memory) Wangs, but this one didn't come with them.  
Judging by the stuff on the HDD I think this one spent its life as a
dedicated word processor.  I think I do have the ISA version of that card
around here somewhere.  

I last had these systems over 10 years ago.  I bought a higher end version
of this system for $5 at a market.  The 286 version with 8 slots, a 1.2MB
FDD and a 70MB MFM HDD.  I played around with it for a while, but ended up
putting the drives in the 386-16 PC I had scrounged up.  I was a kid with
no money back then, so 70MB was a big deal to me at the time.  I shudder to
think of the machines I stripped back then for their drives.  That 386 got
it's next upgrade when I installed a pair 120MB MFM drives, one pulled from
a Data General MV or some sort, the other from an ICL 68K unix box.   My
Inboard/386 equipped XT got it's 40MB drive from a Xerox 6085...

---

From: "Merle K. Peirce" <[email-masked]>
Date: Sat May 31 21:13:00 2003

In addition to the to the old Wang PC in the archiver case, I think there 
were PC-250's, PC-280's and PC-350's.  There was also the Wang Executive 
which was a 386, I think, and the Alliance series, which may have been 
486's.  There were also the PCS-II's which were absolutely and completely 
non MS-DOS copmpatible.  They ran Wang Basic.

> and print serving. Did you also get the VS networking

M. K. Peirce

Rhode Island Computer Museum, Inc.
Shady Lea, Rhode Island 

"Casta est quam nemo rogavit."
              
              - Ovid