Wang 500/520 Calculator Advertisement
New Scientist Magazine February, 1972

This is an advertisement for the (unnamed in the advertisement) Wang 500/520 calculators, which is the calculator pictured in the photo. The advertisement actually speaks to Wang's line of advanced programmable electronic calculators, which, at the time of introduction of the 500 and 520 calculators, consisted of 700-series machines. While Wang had earlier 300-series programmable machines, such as the 370 and 380 programmers, as well as simple, linear punched-card programming using an external card reader connected to a keyboard/display unit, these machines were not at all close in capability to the 700, and the new 500-series calculators.

The 500 was introduced as a lower-cost version of the extremely powerful 700-series, providing comprehensive programming features, lots of memory registers and program steps, and built-in complex math functions. The 500-series had less expandability than the 700-series, and utilized Large Scale Integration MOS Random Access Memory to replace the expensive magnetic core used in the 700-series. An advantage of the 500-series was that the calculator could be ordered with an optional built-in drum impact printer, providing a printed record of calculations, as well as allowing listing out of program steps, and tracing program execution.

This ad is from Wang Labs' marketing organization out of the company's UK field office.