Welcome to the Unisys CWD Surplus info Page!

This is just the roughest start on a repository of information on the cool, tiny, Unisys CWD workstations which just appeared on the surplus market.

Since a number of people have acquired these machines and are all searching for the same information I have setup this web page to pass on what I and others have learned.

I purchased mine from Halted Specialties a great surplus electronics house in Sunnyvale, CA (my ex-home). Alas, they sold out very quickly and don't anticipate receiving more!

The machine has interesting features:

• Small size: (approximately 8" x 11" x 3")
• Integrated peripherals
  • Twisted pair style Ethernet
  • VGA Display
  • IDE controller
  • Floppy controller
  • PS/2 compatible Keyboard/Mouse
  • 2 D-9 Serial ports
  • 1 Parallel port
• One standard expansion card slot
• Integrated power supply
• Standard 1/2 height 3.5" IDE drive bay
• Laptop floppy drive bay

My machine came with a 486 DX2/33, but others have put faster CPUs in these machines. (more details to come)

These machines have run WIN95 with stock drivers, and have been reported to run LINUX as well. I plan to run LINUX diskless on this machine, with a local swap disk, and boot it off the network.

One big issue for these machines is where to find floppy drives for them. The machines actually take a tiny laptop form factor floppy:

• TEAC 1/3 Height Floppy
• Model # FD-05HG4661-U
• part # 1930 7546-61

Sources for CWD machines:

• Symco Group
  • Mike Williams
  • (770)451-8002
  • They resell these machines mostly to Financial Institutions
• Fica First International Computer, inc.
  • Seems like they manufacture motherboards and some oem systems
  • This system sounds a lot like the CWD: Leo486

Sources for Memory and CPUs:

• The Chip Merchant has reasonable prices on:
  • CPUs
  • SIMMs
  • 256x16-60 SOJ video chip (needed by the CWD to do 24-bit color)

Thanks to the following folk for help/input/information:

• Darin Pfaff: For providing much of the information/motivation for the page
• Rob Scott: For turning me onto the deal in the first place, and providing LINUX info
• Mike Williams: For spending time on the phone helping me, especialy when he knew he wasn't going to make a sale!
• Ken Greenebaum: Just for being me.

Other Information online:

• Doug Edwards provided the link to the Unisys CWD Pentium System Hardware Upgrade Guide
• CWD Pentium System Board Configuration

Contact me if you have information to add or correct... Click HERE to return to my hobbies page.