Compy 386

From Homestar Runner Wiki

Strong Bad checks his email.

The Compy 386 logo.

The Compy 386 was Strong Bad's second computer, and in his words, "a spectacle of graphics and sound." He used this machine to answer his emails after the Tandy 400 was thrown out at the beginning of invisibility. This machine was built by Compy, Inc. and seemed to have something against The Cheat. Strong Bad did 78 emails on the Compy, more than double the number of emails he checked on the Tandy (38). If you look at it from the side or from the far front, you can see that the keyboard is wireless, even though all other features of the computer are of lesser technology. Every Compy 386 email had Easter eggs. Although lures & jigs didn't have any Easter eggs when it was first released, they were added later.

Quick Facts

Debut: invisibility

Interactive Feature: You can click on the little wheels repeatedly to change the screen contrast from black to blue and then back to black again.

Virus Death: Damaged by Bubs' shotgun after being infected by 423,827 viruses in the email "virus." Bubs later sold it to Homestar Runner as seen in the Broken Compy Menu. Strong Bad replaced the Compy with the Lappy 486.

Retirement Death: The damaged Compy later appeared with the Tandy in retirement, lappynapping the Lappy 486 in order to check one last email. It was killed and presumably fully destroyed when it was eaten by Strong Mad. Its ghost lives on.

Font: Commodore 64

Error Screen: The Compy had a blue Flagrant System Error screen that appeared when it encountered a major problem. Resembling the Windows '9X famous Blue Screen Of Death, it gave Strong Bad some vague information as to what went wrong. This screen appeared in "50 emails," when Homestar's many failed attempts to delete an email crashed the system. It later appeared in "virus," after Strong Bad learned that the Compy was infected with 423,827 viruses.

Programs

Some of the programs Strong Bad had on the Compy 386, most of which were started by typing the filename only after the prompt:

• strongbad_email.exe (emails 41-118, except email 78 (anything) (see below) and email 87 (mile), which The Cheat answers. Also used in 159 (retirement))
• Message Thyme (marzipan - an IM similar to AOL Instant Messenger)
• take_a_break.exe (huttah! - a relaxing animated beach scene)
• spellchecka.exe (autobiography - checks the spelling of the email Strong Bad is reading)
• print_of_it.exe (autobiography - prints out the email Strong Bad is reading)
• M4RZ1P4N, bu-hubs, undabite, no-neck, dacheese, mr.smith (big white face - These bring up pixellated pictures of Marzipan, Bubs, Homestar Runner, Strong Mad, The Cheat, and The Poopsmith respectively. Each of these is run by typing run "M4RZ1P4N" etc.)
• b/w (big white face - converts display to a black-and-white Macintosh; run by typing run "b/w")
• fightsong (mascot - plays the Crazy Go Nuts University fight song: run by typing run "fightsong")
• In funny, Strong Bad accidentally types:
  • stongbad_email.exe (File not found)
• sb_enail.com (anything, which is answered by Homestar Runner who actually uses this prompt to get an email)
• hsramerdsxr.exe (date - Dating simulator; run by typing run "hsramerdsxr.exe")
• In couch patch:
  • Strong Bad tries these unaccepted prompts:
    • print out million dollar bill.exe (Bad command or file name)
    • no for real, print me out a million dollar bill, man.exe (Syntax error)
    • um, this time really print me out a million dollars bill.nofoolin' (Cut it out, you.)
    • make homestar's head explode.exe (No can do.)
  • print out million dollar bill, please.exe - This one is accepted and the computer prints out an ASCII art million dollar bill.
• Edgarware.exe - runs Edgarware virus scanner

The Real Computer

The Compy (or at least an Apple II monitor and a Dell keyboard) appearing in Puppet Time.

Like the Tandy 400, this was an almost-reference to a real computer. There was a 386 processor made by Intel, which was very popular in its day, but there was no company called "Compy" that made a 386 version of their computer. The "386" logo in "invisibility" is most likely a reference to the IBM logo. The blue startup screen is a reference to the IBM PC-XT, which ran DOS like the Compy 386, but did not actually have a 80386 CPU.

The design of the computer itself seems to be a take on the old Compaq Deskpro 386, which has a similar monitor and keyboard. It also seems to spoof the IBM Personal System/2 Model 25 due to its generation and that the PC is integrated with the monitor. However, the monitor in the Puppet Time movie is an old Apple II monitor. The keyboard is a recent model of the Dell QuietKey keyboard that came with earlier Dell computers.

Interestingly, both the exploded Compy 386 and Tandy 400 contain identical gears and fans, despite being built by different manufacturers and being different generations of computers.

Variations

Compy 386 Version 1.5 Screen logo from invisibility.	Flagrant System Error	Side view seen in fingers (with "fingers" edited out)	The Compy appearing in Powered by The Cheat form in mile, under the name "Compa".
Slightly Shotgunned	Automatic hole-formatting	Restored as a ghost, with a dancing skeleton