Strong Bad's Technology

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*Strong Bad is able to operate [[Pom Pom]]'s [[Pom Pilot]] in [[the bird]].
*Strong Bad is able to operate [[Pom Pom]]'s [[Pom Pilot]] in [[the bird]].
*Even though Strong Bad's computers use DOS, there have been [[credit card|a couple]] of [[lunch special|occasions]] where a cursor has appeared.
*Even though Strong Bad's computers use DOS, there have been [[credit card|a couple]] of [[lunch special|occasions]] where a cursor has appeared.
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**In addition, his computers appear not to have mice, but still are capable of cursors.
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**In addition, his computers appear not to have [[Wikipedia: computer mouse|mice]], but still are capable of [[Wikipedia:cursor|cursors]].
*In [[long pants]], Strong Bad calls "tech support" to remove the light pen markings from his screen.  If the markings were successfully removed, which they were, then Strong Bad's monitor would have to be a CRT monitor as opposed to an LCD.  CRT monitors do not create a ripple effect when pressed, as do LCD.
*In [[long pants]], Strong Bad calls "tech support" to remove the light pen markings from his screen.  If the markings were successfully removed, which they were, then Strong Bad's monitor would have to be a CRT monitor as opposed to an LCD.  CRT monitors do not create a ripple effect when pressed, as do LCD.
*Strong Bad is connected to the internet via a modem, as shown in [[isp]]. Thus, he should not be able to use the phone to speak with tech support while downloading from the internet.
*Strong Bad is connected to the internet via a modem, as shown in [[isp]]. Thus, he should not be able to use the phone to speak with tech support while downloading from the internet.

Revision as of 00:39, 9 April 2008

This article is about the running gag. For the Strong Bad Email, see technology.
"Why do all my thirty-year-old electronics keep breaking on me?!"

Strong Bad shows a strong preference for out-of-date technology. Sometimes his feelings are so strong they lead to a state of denial, in which he describes such outmoded technologies as cutting-edge. Similarly, the company Videlectrix, which Strong Bad endorses, seems to embrace a mission plan of releasing 8-bit and 16-bit "video computer games on TV" which they consider to have "good graphics". Strong Bad continually remains adamant that his computers are high tech. In animal and redesign, however, Strong Bad mocks The Cheat's use of "new computers".

Contents

Appearances

  • Strong Bad Sings — Strong Bad appears to think that a record holds more than a CD, as the announcer states that the collection is available on 3 records or 7 CDs. Also, he claims that it's available on 8-track cassettes, which have not been seen in stores since the seventies.
    • An 8-track tape could also have more songs than a record, depending how long the songs are and if the record is 33, 45, or 78 rpm.
    • Another thing is the simple fact that the collection is on records, which have not been seen in stores since the eighties.
  • Several occasions — The only telephone that Strong Bad ever seems to answer is a seventies telephone, with the only buttons to press being those used for dialing. Since the eighties, speed dial and redial have been standard on all phones.
    • Although the headpiece should be attached to the base, Strong Bad's appears to be disconnected from the base.
  • Almost every Strong Bad Email — Strong Bad uses outdated computers, and praised the Compy 386 and Lappy 486 as state-of-the-art computers with awesome features. The Paper, as well, appears to come from a tractor-fed dot matrix printer. In home use, such printers are now nearly non-existent.
  • Almost every Strong Bad Email — The operating system that Strong Bad uses on the Tandy 400 resembles that of ProDOS, while the Compy 386 and Lappy 486 resemble that of DOS, both of which have been replaced with GUI operating systems in most modern home computers.
  • Almost every Strong Bad Email — Strong Bad's computer desk appears to have a case of either floppies or diskettes. Floppies were discontinued entirely when diskettes came out, and diskettes are almost extinct.
  • Email duck pond — Strong Bad says that the Atari version of Duck Pond has state-of-the-art graphics.
  • Email gimmicks — Despite Strong Sad's claim that he could replace the Tandy 400 with a comparable computer "at a yard sale for, like, fifteen dollars," Strong Bad asserts that he "liked that computer". He evidently disregards Strong Sad's encouragement to get a modern computer when he chooses the Compy 386.
    • Despite the accurate price description by Strong Sad, he still asks to borrow 900 dollars, most of which was presumably not spent on a new computer.
  • Email weird dream — Strong Bad is unaware of how to use The Cheat's iMac's Mac OS.
  • Email lures & jigs — Strong Bad refers to Fishing Challenge '91 as "the pinnacle of graphics".
  • Email 50 emails (Easter Egg) — Old Timey Strong Bad used a "telegramaphone" (more commonly a telegraph), although by the 1930s they had been almost completely replaced by the telephone.
  • Email websiteStrong Bad's Website is similar to many other outdated ones created during the '90s.
  • Strong Bad is in Jail Cartoon (Easter Egg) — Strong Bad and The Cheat constructed a working telephone from the canister marked "eww" in the cardboard box prison.
    • However, the tin can phone is still able to call Marzipan's Answering Machine, when it should only be able to talk to another can.
  • Email video games — Strong Bad considers the NES-style RhinoFeeder to be on a brand new and super-photorealistic system.
    • He also thinks that the individual red pixel that represents the player in Secret Collect. looks "kinda like [him]".
  • Email haircut — Strong Bad edits a Polaroid picture of Strong Mad with a marker, claiming that he's using a light pen to edit a scanned picture.
    • Here, he also refers to the tech as "Cutting art, state-of-the-edge".
  • Teen Girl Squad Issue 9 — Strong Bad is irate that Babbages has no Turbografx games (which today are next to impossible to find).
  • Real-Live E-Mails — Strong Bad is unaware of the term "burning DVDs" and sets fire to a spindle of them using the BMW Lighter.
  • Biz Cas Fri 3 — Strong Bad fails to back up his files, and then seems to think he can do so by keeping some of the ashes of his exploded computer.
    • Strong Bad's computer is unable to open the 3 gigabyte attachment entitled "catonfire_fallingfromanairplane.exe" and thus explodes.
  • Email extra plug — Not only are the 'lectric boots low tech, taking up all the house's electricity, but the TV that Strong Sad, Homestar and Strong Mad are watching is very old and outdated.
  • Email radio — The walkie talkies that Strong Bad and The Cheat use are highly outdated.
  • Email lady...ing — Strong Bad uses a Laserdisc and sings a brief, nostalgic tribute to the medium, saying that "everything is better on Laserdisc".
  • Email animal — Strong Bad scoffs at The Cheat for using new computers.
  • Email long pants — Strong Bad deems the email "too long" and proceeds to edit it with a white-out pen, which he calls a "light pen" with "expensive electrons". When the plan backfires on him, though, he refers to it as "stupid made-up technology that I made up".
  • Email highschool — Baby Strong Bad wishes the video games of his earlier era were "better".
  • Email portrait — Strong Bad is shown holding a "re-eally o-o-ld ce-e-ll phone".
  • Email technology — A whole email on the subject; Strong Bad makes numerous references to older technologies being state-of-the-art. He also claims that he prefers early floppy disks over diskettes, erroneously stating that "they have more memory".
  • Email alternate universe — The Game Boy that Strong Bad uses to make his high tech "alternate universe portal" is an original monochrome model, which is highly outdated and no longer produced.
  • Email senior prom — Strong Bad pretends to get a message on his "answering machine" from "Delilelia", when it's actually a clock radio with a paper reading "an answering machine (trust me)" taped to it. Strong Bad himself provides "Delilelia's" voice.
  • Email isp — Strong Bad's computer, besides having a ridiculously slow Internet connection, uses an icon of a 5-1/4-inch floppy disk on its download-progress screen.
    • Strong Bad claims his internet connection potentially runs at "1200 baud" – while it is impossible to say how fast this really is without knowing the standard the modem uses to connect, describing the speed in baud typically was only used with older modems (1980s and earlier), so the modem is probably encoding around 2 or 3 bits per symbol, thus achieving transfer rate of either 2.4kbit/s or 3.6kbit/s. Note however that no ITU-T standard transferred at 1200 baud, jumping from 600 baud in V.22 to 2400 baud in its successor, V.32. It is possible, however, for a 2400 baud or higher modem to run at only 1200 baud if it is on a low-quality phone line.
  • Email redesign — Strong Bad thinks that the LCD monitor on The Cheat's new computer had the backside sliced off, and he refers to his wireless mouse as a "plastic bar of soap". He also believes that the scroll ticker replacement for the NO LOAFING sign has "advanced animation".
  • Email road trip — Strong Bad believes the 8-Track cassette player to be "forwards-compatible" with CDs.
  • Email trading cards — Strong Bad considers the title screen of the 1982 Videlectrix video game C.H.E.A.T. "the day they invented good graphics".
  • Email the movies — Strong Bad watches the movie Karate Car, which is entirely ASCII art.
  • Email the paper — As the printer and The Paper malfunction, Strong Bad cries, "Why do all my 30-year-old electronics keep breaking on me?"
  • Everything Else, Volume 3 — Strong Bad does not understand why his "used copy of a 20 year-old video game" malfunctions.
  • Email rated — Strong Bad watches scrambled cable with the picture distorted. He also claims his email is a car phone instead of a cell phone.

Fun Facts

  • Most of the graphics that Strong Bad refers to as "good" are from an Atari 2600, NES, or Super NES, which is what made the first H*R cartoon.
  • Strong Bad needed to call tech support in order to remove the "light pen" markings from the Lappy's screen.
  • The DOS command "dir/p", the command used on the Compy 386 Email Menu, would display the contents of the current directory and pause after displaying each info screen.

Inconsistencies

  • Though the Compy appears to mostly use EGA graphics, it is capable of SVGA graphics, as indicated by Homestar Runner and Marzipan Extra Real Dating Sim XR in date.
    • Strong Bad also must have a scanner of some sort, as he is able to upload photos and also videos. This is strange as his computers normally appear to be unable to do this.
  • Though Strong Bad appears to be incapable of comprehension of today's technology, he does make note of such modern technologies as HD and wide screen.
  • Strong Bad is able to operate Pom Pom's Pom Pilot in the bird.
  • Even though Strong Bad's computers use DOS, there have been a couple of occasions where a cursor has appeared.
    • In addition, his computers appear not to have mice, but still are capable of cursors.
  • In long pants, Strong Bad calls "tech support" to remove the light pen markings from his screen. If the markings were successfully removed, which they were, then Strong Bad's monitor would have to be a CRT monitor as opposed to an LCD. CRT monitors do not create a ripple effect when pressed, as do LCD.
  • Strong Bad is connected to the internet via a modem, as shown in isp. Thus, he should not be able to use the phone to speak with tech support while downloading from the internet.

Strong Bad's Computers etc.

Besides his outdated computers, Strong Bad uses several other low-tech implements. He so often uses these, it is almost impossible to find an implement of technology that Strong Bad has that is not outdated.

Computers

  • Tandy 400 — Strong Bad's first computer. He used it to check emails 1-40. It exploded due to random malfunction.
  • Compy 386 — Strong Bad's second computer. He used it to check emails 41-118. He was so distraught when Bubs shot it in virus, he was unable to compose himself enough to yell and argue with Bubs.
  • Lappy 486 — Strong Bad's current computer. To date, he has used it to check all emails since 119, excluding from work. He claims that it is portable, weighing in at 42 pounds. Also appears in female form.
  • Block — Its only appearance is in other days. Strong Bad uses it to check his Polish emails. Although it appears to be in the same room as his other computer, it is never visible on his desk.
  • Corpy NT6 — This is Strong Bad's computer at the office. It is obviously outdated as it runs on DOS like SB's home computers, and is unable to open a 3GB attachment.
  • Zappy XT6 — Strong Bad's computer in the future, which apparently runs on DOS like his other computers. Its only appearance is in the DVD exclusive email "Accent".

Software

  • Edgar The Virus Hunter — Strong Bad's virus protection software was programmed by only one person, is apparently never maintained, and also seems to only have a scan function.
  • Edga Jr. — A simple piece of software that automatically deletes emails of a certain length.
  • Edgar's Baby's Daddy — Another simple application that removes and archives all emails with the sender named "Homestar Runner".
  • The Operating System — Although this is often overlooked, the operating system Strong Bad runs is DOS, which is almost never used in modern day life.
  • Computer Error Alerts — These include "Flagrant System Error", "Computer over", "Flamboyant System Error", and "Teal Screen of Near Death (TSoND)".

Other

  • The Paper — The Paper is apparently a tractor-feed dot matrix printer that for some reason can never be seen on top of Strong Bad's computer, even though it always feeds from the top of the screen. It seemed to be malfunctioning in the email more armies, and, as predicted in montage, The Paper called it quits in email #173, the paper, where it was replaced with an inkjet printer.
  • The "light pen" — Used in haircut to edit the hairstyle of a "scanned" picture of Strong Mad. It was later used in long pants to make the email shorter.
  • Floppy Disk Container — Strong Bad still uses floppy disks to store information and games. It was revealed in technology that he preferred the older 5¼" floppy disks to the newer 3½" diskettes, claiming (incorrectly) that the 5¼" disks hold more memory.
  • Telebision — An older TV, circa the '70s, complete with knobs and dials.
  • Cakkalate — Strong Bad's simple solar calculator that is "the future of technology" since it is wireless (according to him).

See Also

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