Strong Bad's Computers Surpassing Their Assumed Capabilities

From Homestar Runner Wiki

Current revision as of 19:00, 15 March 2023

The Compy displaying a full-color photo

Despite Strong Bad's preference for older computers, they are nevertheless capable of performing tasks that the real-life computers they are based on cannot. The Tandy 400, Compy 386 and Lappy 486 all run operating systems that are heavily based on DOS, and each computer's graphics capabilities are based on those of real-life monitor types. Mouse pointers have also appeared on these computers, when none have been shown to have a mouse or laptop pad, in the Lappy's case.

[edit] Appearances

[edit] Irregular File Names

File names of actual MS-DOS computers have a limit of 8 characters for the filename and 3 for the extension, with certain characters that are disallowed (such as apostrophes and slashes). Some of Strong Bad's file names have these.

• Tandy 400 — "strongbad's_email" (Contains an apostrophe)
• Compy 386, Lappy 486, Corpy NT6 and Lappier — "strongbad_email.exe"
• homestar hair — "temple_of_apshai"
• huttah! — "take-a-break.exe"
• autobiography —
  • "spellchecka.exe"
  • "print_of_it.exe"
• big white face —
  • "mr.smith" (Contains a period within the file name itself)
  • "b/w" (Contains a slash)
• mascot — "fightsong"
• privileges — "medalliongoldplus.txt"
• date — "hsramerdsxr.exe"
• couch patch —
  • "print out million dollar bill.exe"
  • "no for real, print me out a million dollar bill, man.exe" (Contains two commas)
  • "um, this time really print me out a million dollars bill.nofoolin'" (Contains a comma and an apostrophe)
  • "make homestar's head explode.exe" (Contains an apostrophe)
  • "print out million dollar bill, please.exe" (Contains a comma, this command works)
• other days — "polish_email.exe"
• virus — "Edgarware.exe"
• Biz Cas Fri 3 — "catonfire_fallingfromanairplane.exe"
• technology — "screen_savior.exe"
• retirement —
  • "clncknmsfrmyslf.txt"
  • "cldshplog.txt"
  • "ltr2bkrythrftstr.txt"
• the movies — "karatecar.exe"
• SBCG4AP Advertisement — "strongbad3Dtotal.wad"
• being mean —
  • "other_gems.exe"
  • "more_other_gems.exe"
• April Fool 2014 — "strongbad_eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee_windows98desktoptheme"

[edit] Irregular Graphics and Sound

[edit] Tandy 400

The Tandy has a monochrome green/orange display, yet multi-color graphics and photos have appeared on it. Its sound capabilities also surpass those of computers of its era.

• homestar hair —
  • The Tandy displays a Hairstyle Runner.
  • Temple of Apshai is in color.
• credit card — Strong Bad somehow uses a mouse on the Tandy. While real Tandy computers of the time did support the use of mice, they could not display a graphical mouse cursor on top of a text-based interface, let alone move it across the screen smoothly.
• sugarbob — The Tandy plays macOS sounds and displays full-color fonts.
• sisters — The Tandy plays the Windows 9x "ding" sound.
• retirement — The Tandy highlights spelling and grammar errors in yellow, and again plays Mac OS 9 sounds.

[edit] Compy 386

The Compy has a monochrome white/blue display, yet multi-color graphics and photos have appeared on it. While it has been shown to be capable of playing musical notes in the form of scratchy tones (its start-up/error sound, Crazy Go Nuts University fight song rendition and (possibly) The Cheat is Not Dead music), sounds from more modern computers have been heard from it.

• ghosts — The Tandy-rendered Bad Graphics Ghost appears on the Compy, though this is likely caused by the Tandy's ghost.
• website — The Compy plays a Flash file and several animated GIFs, and it displays two full-quality photos.
• marzipan — The Message Thyme pop-ups are in Windows style and has vocalized instant messager sounds accompanying them.
• interview and pizzaz — The Compy displays a Gothic font.
• autobiography — The Compy plays the Windows 9x "ding" sound.
• big white face —
  • The Compy displays color (but heavily pixelated) images of Marzipan, Bubs, Homestar Runner, Strong Mad, The Cheat and The Poopsmith.
  • In addition, a Macintosh 128K-like operating system is displayed, which could just be an image.
• couch patch — The Compy plays a Mac OS 9 sound after Strong Bad's first three attempts to print a million dollar bill.
• flashback — The Compy shows the email from some kinda robot in the Tandy's font and green color.
• lunch special —
  • The Compy once again plays the "ding" sound.
  • Strong Bad clicks on the attachment in an email Strong Mad sent him, despite the Compy not having a mouse.
  • Additionally, a Microsoft Paint drawing is displayed.
• virus —
  • The Compy plays the "ding" sound.
  • The Compy gets many more viruses than could possibly fit on a computer of its kind.
• April Fool 2014 — After inexplicably reappearing, the Compy runs Windows 98, plays a sound clip of Strong Bad's voice, and has a microphone extend to the front of his face, which he uses to record a new startup sound for his desktop theme.

[edit] Lappy 486

In addition to running a DOS-like operating system, further technical specifications for this computer were listed in animal:

• 2 MB hard drive
• 512 KB RAM
• 5 minute battery life
• "Several" color monitor

While these specifications are greater than Strong Bad's earlier computers, they have occasionally been challenged as well.

• death metal — The Lappy runs a full-color video chat with Larry Palaroncini on a webcam that it doesn't seem to have.
• retirement — Strong Bad says he has "a lot of important text files on that 5 Meg hard drive" when it was previously stated that the Lappy's hard drive holds two megabytes. It is possible Strong Bad since upgraded it.
• from work — In this Lappy 486-era email, the Corpy NT6 (which is also DOS-based) displays a full-quality spreadsheet.

[edit] See Also

• Stylized Text on Strong Bad's Computers
• Angled Pixels