Tandy 400

From Homestar Runner Wiki

(Difference between revisions)
Jump to: navigation, search
(The Real Computer: There is no Lappy in sugarbob. However, the context of the sentence makes it look like it SHOULD have been the Tandy here in the first place, sooooo...)
(legible-ized)
(includes 88 intermediate revisions)
Line 1: Line 1:
[[Image:sbemail1.PNG|thumb|Many green lines]]
[[Image:sbemail1.PNG|thumb|Many green lines]]
-
The '''Tandy 400''' was [[Strong Bad]]'s first computer. He used it to answer emails until the 33rd email, "[[gimmicks]]," when it suddenly crashed and subsequently exploded.
+
The '''Tandy 400''' was [[Strong Bad]]'s first computer. He used it to answer emails until the 41st email, "[[invisibility]]," when he threw it out and replaced it with the [[Compy 386]]. Presumably, the computer was made by [[Tandy 400#The Real Computer|The Tandy Corporation]] and thus would be the only computer Strong Bad has owned to not have been manufactured by [[Compy, Inc]].
==History==
==History==
-
After using [[Tangerine Dreams]] to check his email during "[[weird dream]]," Strong Bad got "the old girl" working again in "[[sisters]]," although the repaired Tandy was still [[Strong Bad's Computer Malfunctioning|malfunctioning]]. Strong Bad made do with the damage for a while until he returned from his [[vacation]] in "[[invisibility]]," replacing the Tandy 400 with the [[Compy 386]]. Tandy 400 made several disparaging remarks when it was thrown out, including: "386? More like three eighty SUCKS!"   
+
Strong Bad relied on the Tandy 400 to check emails but it exploded in "[[gimmicks]]." He made do using [[Tangerine Dreams]] during "[[weird dream]]," until he got "the old girl" working again in "[[sisters]]." The repaired Tandy was still [[Strong Bad's Computer Malfunctioning|malfunctioning]], deleting an email he intended to save and vice versa. Strong Bad continued to use the damaged computer until he returned from his [[vacation]] in "[[invisibility]]," replacing the Tandy 400 with the Compy 386. The Tandy 400 made several disparaging remarks when it was thrown out, including: "386? More like three eighty [[SUCKS]]!"   
The Tandy 400 haunted [[Strong Badia]] for some time. The computer appeared floating in mid-air in "[[ghosts]]," displaying a [[Bad Graphics Ghost]] on its screen. [[Bubs]] later salvaged the Tandy 400 and sold it to [[The King of Town]] for $900, who attempted to [[King of Town Email|check his email]] with it in an Easter egg in The [[King of Town Main Page]].
The Tandy 400 haunted [[Strong Badia]] for some time. The computer appeared floating in mid-air in "[[ghosts]]," displaying a [[Bad Graphics Ghost]] on its screen. [[Bubs]] later salvaged the Tandy 400 and sold it to [[The King of Town]] for $900, who attempted to [[King of Town Email|check his email]] with it in an Easter egg in The [[King of Town Main Page]].
-
The Tandy 400 seems to be [[Strong Bad]]'s least favorite computer, as evidenced by his indifference whilst knocking the Tandy off the desk in "invisibility" and his comments about it in "[[pop-up]]". He claims that he "liked that computer" in [[gimmicks]] when it blew up, but his loathing of the machine is likely to have originated in "sisters" when it malfunctioned and automatically deleted Ali's email. In contrast, he seemed a lot more broken up about the Compy's demise in [[virus]] than he did when the Tandy exploded.
+
The Tandy 400 seems to be [[Strong Bad]]'s least favorite computer, as evidenced by his indifference whilst knocking the Tandy off the desk in "invisibility" and his comments about it in "[[pop-up]]". He claims that he "liked that computer" in [[gimmicks]] when it blew up, and when he was able to begin using it again in [[sisters]] he was initially excited. However, by the end of the email his feelings had soured after the Tandy deleted an email without being prompted and saved an email he tried to delete, and Strong Bad declared he hated the computer. In contrast, he seemed a lot more broken up about the Compy's demise in [[virus]] than he did when the Tandy exploded.
-
After a long absence, the Tandy reappeared in [[retirement]] after Lappynapping the [[Lappy 486]] with the help of the Compy 386. In exchange for the safe return of the Lappy, Strong Bad agreed to check one last email on each of the two abandoned computers. Strong Bad answered the question "do you remember the email you deleted the hardest" by filling the Tandy with [[Mountain Dew]] and [[The King of Town]]'s denture tablets and singing the hymn "Deleted" with organ accompaniment. The Tandy exploded in a bad graphics mushroom cloud, being killed and fully destroyed. Its restored ghost appeared at the end of the email with the ghost of the Compy.
+
After a long absence, the Tandy reappeared in [[retirement]] after Lappynapping the [[Lappy 486]] with the help of the Compy 386. In exchange for the safe return of the Lappy, Strong Bad agreed to check one last email on each of the two abandoned computers. He used the still-malfunctioning Tandy first to answer a question on which email he deleted the hardest. Strong Bad enlisted the help of [[Homestar Runner]], a bottle of Mountain Dew, and [[The King of Town]]'s denture tablets, then sang a hymnal version of "DELETED" which caused the Tandy to start shaking. Strong Bad then drove a pickaxe through the computer's keyboard, causing it to explode in a flash of green light and finally destroy it. The Tandy was later seen, in restored form, as a ghost with the Compy at the end of the email.
-
Interestingly, Strong Bad has never referred to the Tandy by name.
+
In [[Hremail 7]], Strong Bad is shown taking the Tandy 400 from the trash can of [[Homestar Runner]], who was apparently the previous owner. The 2009 toon, set in 2001, supposedly explains the origin of the Tandy (and of [[Strong Bad Emails]] in general). When Strong Bad takes the Tandy, Homestar comments that the computer hardly works, and that he'd be surprised if Strong Bad could check more than forty emails on it. (Strong Bad only got to 39 before the computer was destroyed; see below.)
 +
 
 +
The Tandy's logo is a star with a bite out of it, which is also seen on [[The Cheat]]'s computers, [[Strong Mad]]'s [[Strong Mad's Computer|computer]] and the [[Happy 8600]] suggesting that these are all made by the same company. Every time Strong Bad checks an email on it, there is a small brown dot in the lower-left corner. Interestingly, no character has ever referred to the Tandy by name (usually referred to as "Strong Bad's old crappy computer" or just "Strong Bad's old computer"), and appearances outside the Tandy-era have the "contrast" label either with a different font or mispositioned. The Tandy is the only major computer owned by Strong Bad that (probably) wasn't made by [[Compy, Inc.]]
 +
 
 +
The Tandy, or a similarly outdated Tandy computer, is [[@StrongBadActual Tweets 2014#516969826599055361|shown]] to be Strong Bad's "[[@StrongBadActual Tweets 2019#1140342715760164865|Twitter rig]]" for [[@StrongBadActual]] Tweets. This rig is two [[Apple IIe]] drives with Tandy logos.
== Quick Facts ==
== Quick Facts ==
Line 19: Line 23:
'''Interactive Feature''': Clicking the contrast buttons in the lower-left corner of the computer will change the background color gradually from black to green. The left button makes the screen darker and the right button makes it greener.  There are 13 levels of contrast.
'''Interactive Feature''': Clicking the contrast buttons in the lower-left corner of the computer will change the background color gradually from black to green. The left button makes the screen darker and the right button makes it greener.  There are 13 levels of contrast.
-
'''[[Font]]:''' [[Fonts#Westminster|Westminster]]
+
'''Font:''' [[Fonts#Westminster|Westminster]]
 +
 
 +
'''Emails checked on the computer:''' {{PAGESINCATEGORY:Tandy 400 Emails}}
 +
 
 +
== Commands ==
 +
*'''run''' — A BASIC command, used to start program execution from direct mode, or to start a overlay program from a loader program. Also a [[wikipedia:Microsoft Windows|Microsoft Windows]] command.
 +
*'''delete that crap''' ([[homestar hair]])
 +
*'''forward message''' ([[credit card]])
 +
*'''forward to''' ([[i she be]])
 +
*'''DELETED!''' ([[spring cleaning]])
== Programs ==
== Programs ==
Line 32: Line 45:
*'''duckpond''' ([[duck pond]])
*'''duckpond''' ([[duck pond]])
 +
 +
*'''Text Quest''' ([[Email Birds]])
== The Real Computer ==
== The Real Computer ==
-
[[Wikipedia:Tandy Corporation|Tandy Corporation]] helped to start the personal computer revolution with its [http://www.8bit-micro.com/model1.htm TRS-80] (affectionately known as the "Trash-80") in 1977. Tandy 400 probably gets its name from the [http://www.8bit-micro.com/tandy2000.htm Tandy 2000] and [http://www.8bit-micro.com/tandypc.htm 1000], Tandy's first [[Wikipedia:IBM PC compatible|"IBM-PC compatible"]] machines produced in 1984. However, Tandy did not produce a "400" model, so the naming is probably just to show how old the computer is. The 400 shares several design features with the TRS-80, including two contrast knobs on the monitor, and a monochrome green display composed of rectangular characters.
+
[[Wikipedia:Tandy Corporation|Tandy Corporation]] helped to start the personal computer revolution with its [http://www.8bit-micro.com/model1.htm TRS-80] (affectionately known as the "Trash-80") in 1977. Tandy 400 probably gets its name from the [http://www.8bit-micro.com/tandy2000.htm Tandy 2000] and [http://www.8bit-micro.com/tandypc.htm 1000], Tandy's first [[Wikipedia:IBM PC compatible|"IBM-PC compatible"]] machines produced in 1984. However, Tandy did not produce a "400" model, so the naming is probably just to show how old the computer is. However, this could be a reference to the Atari 400, another 8-bit computer. The 400 shares several design features with the TRS-80, including two contrast knobs on the monitor, and a monochrome green display composed of rectangular characters.
 +
However, the computer that the Tandy shares its looks with most is probably the [[Wikipedia: ADM-3A|Lear-Siegler ADM-3A]] from the mid-seventies.  
-
The rainbow star logo on Tandy 400 is a play on an early [[Wikipedia:Apple Computer|Apple Computer]] logo which featured a [[Wikipedia:Image:Apple Computer Logo.svg|rainbow-colored apple with a missing bite]].
+
The rainbow star logo on Tandy 400 is a play on an early [[Wikipedia:Apple Computer|Apple Computer]] logo which featured a [[Wikipedia:Image:Apple_Computer_Logo_rainbow.png|rainbow-colored apple with a missing bite]].
-
Some believe that the Tandy 400 is a model of the [[Wikipedia:Apple II series|Apple II]] computer, due to the nature of the [[Wikipedia:ProDOS|ProDOS]]-like operating system and the monitor. In the [[strongbad_email.exe|DVD]] commentary of "[[cartoon]]," Strong Bad refers to it as an "Apple monitor." As well, in the e-mails [[sugarbob]] and [[retirement]], the Tandy made several system sounds used in [[Wikipedia:Mac OS|Mac OS]].
+
Some believe that the Tandy 400 is a model of the [[Wikipedia:Apple II series|Apple II]] computer, due to the nature of the [[Wikipedia:ProDOS|ProDOS]]-like operating system and the monitor. In the [[strongbad_email.exe|DVD]] commentary of "[[cartoon]]," Strong Bad refers to it as an "Apple monitor." As well, in the emails [[sugarbob]] and [[retirement]], the Tandy made several system sounds used in [[Wikipedia:Mac OS|Mac OS]].
-
Because of the fact that no [[Wikipedia:Computer Case|computer tower]] is visible, the Tandy (and later, the [[Compy 386|Compy]]) may be an homage to the Apple Macintosh, since all of the internal workings were contained in the monitor case itself.
+
Because of the fact that no [[Wikipedia:Computer tower|computer tower]] is visible, the Tandy (and later, the [[Compy 386|Compy]]) may be an homage to the Apple Macintosh, since all of the internal workings were contained in the monitor case itself.
-
==Screenshots==
+
==Gallery==
<gallery>
<gallery>
 +
Image:Tandy_Desk.png|The full desk
Image:Robotframe16.png|The computer that checks all the emails...
Image:Robotframe16.png|The computer that checks all the emails...
-
Image:Exploded_Tandy.PNG|Exploded
+
Image:Exploded_Tandy.PNG|...Exploded.
Image:Fixedished_Tandy.PNG|Semi-repaired
Image:Fixedished_Tandy.PNG|Semi-repaired
Image:Garbage_Tandy.PNG|Trashed (and apparently bitter)
Image:Garbage_Tandy.PNG|Trashed (and apparently bitter)
Line 55: Line 72:
Image:Tandy400explode.PNG|Tandsplosion 2.0
Image:Tandy400explode.PNG|Tandsplosion 2.0
Image:BGG restored Tandy.png|Ghostly again, restored to its original glory
Image:BGG restored Tandy.png|Ghostly again, restored to its original glory
 +
Image:rear view tandy.png|Rear-view
 +
Image:2001 tandy.png|Checking in on 2001... From 2009
</gallery>
</gallery>
Line 74: Line 93:
*[[strongbad_email.exe Disc Two|strongbad_email.exe Disc Two introduction]]
*[[strongbad_email.exe Disc Two|strongbad_email.exe Disc Two introduction]]
*Email [[retirement]]
*Email [[retirement]]
 +
*[[Sbemailiarized!]]
 +
*[[Hremail 7]]
 +
*[[Loading Screens]]
The following Tandy 400 emails are only available on [[strongbad_email.exe Disc One|strongbad_email.exe Disc One]] and are outside the normal numbering scheme:
The following Tandy 400 emails are only available on [[strongbad_email.exe Disc One|strongbad_email.exe Disc One]] and are outside the normal numbering scheme:

Revision as of 02:12, 8 July 2019

Many green lines

The Tandy 400 was Strong Bad's first computer. He used it to answer emails until the 41st email, "invisibility," when he threw it out and replaced it with the Compy 386. Presumably, the computer was made by The Tandy Corporation and thus would be the only computer Strong Bad has owned to not have been manufactured by Compy, Inc.

Contents

History

Strong Bad relied on the Tandy 400 to check emails but it exploded in "gimmicks." He made do using Tangerine Dreams during "weird dream," until he got "the old girl" working again in "sisters." The repaired Tandy was still malfunctioning, deleting an email he intended to save and vice versa. Strong Bad continued to use the damaged computer until he returned from his vacation in "invisibility," replacing the Tandy 400 with the Compy 386. The Tandy 400 made several disparaging remarks when it was thrown out, including: "386? More like three eighty SUCKS!"

The Tandy 400 haunted Strong Badia for some time. The computer appeared floating in mid-air in "ghosts," displaying a Bad Graphics Ghost on its screen. Bubs later salvaged the Tandy 400 and sold it to The King of Town for $900, who attempted to check his email with it in an Easter egg in The King of Town Main Page.

The Tandy 400 seems to be Strong Bad's least favorite computer, as evidenced by his indifference whilst knocking the Tandy off the desk in "invisibility" and his comments about it in "pop-up". He claims that he "liked that computer" in gimmicks when it blew up, and when he was able to begin using it again in sisters he was initially excited. However, by the end of the email his feelings had soured after the Tandy deleted an email without being prompted and saved an email he tried to delete, and Strong Bad declared he hated the computer. In contrast, he seemed a lot more broken up about the Compy's demise in virus than he did when the Tandy exploded.

After a long absence, the Tandy reappeared in retirement after Lappynapping the Lappy 486 with the help of the Compy 386. In exchange for the safe return of the Lappy, Strong Bad agreed to check one last email on each of the two abandoned computers. He used the still-malfunctioning Tandy first to answer a question on which email he deleted the hardest. Strong Bad enlisted the help of Homestar Runner, a bottle of Mountain Dew, and The King of Town's denture tablets, then sang a hymnal version of "DELETED" which caused the Tandy to start shaking. Strong Bad then drove a pickaxe through the computer's keyboard, causing it to explode in a flash of green light and finally destroy it. The Tandy was later seen, in restored form, as a ghost with the Compy at the end of the email.

In Hremail 7, Strong Bad is shown taking the Tandy 400 from the trash can of Homestar Runner, who was apparently the previous owner. The 2009 toon, set in 2001, supposedly explains the origin of the Tandy (and of Strong Bad Emails in general). When Strong Bad takes the Tandy, Homestar comments that the computer hardly works, and that he'd be surprised if Strong Bad could check more than forty emails on it. (Strong Bad only got to 39 before the computer was destroyed; see below.)

The Tandy's logo is a star with a bite out of it, which is also seen on The Cheat's computers, Strong Mad's computer and the Happy 8600 suggesting that these are all made by the same company. Every time Strong Bad checks an email on it, there is a small brown dot in the lower-left corner. Interestingly, no character has ever referred to the Tandy by name (usually referred to as "Strong Bad's old crappy computer" or just "Strong Bad's old computer"), and appearances outside the Tandy-era have the "contrast" label either with a different font or mispositioned. The Tandy is the only major computer owned by Strong Bad that (probably) wasn't made by Compy, Inc.

The Tandy, or a similarly outdated Tandy computer, is shown to be Strong Bad's "Twitter rig" for @StrongBadActual Tweets. This rig is two Apple IIe drives with Tandy logos.

Quick Facts

Debut: Email some kinda robot

Interactive Feature: Clicking the contrast buttons in the lower-left corner of the computer will change the background color gradually from black to green. The left button makes the screen darker and the right button makes it greener. There are 13 levels of contrast.

Font: Westminster

Emails checked on the computer: 44

Commands

Programs

Some of the programs Strong Bad had on the Tandy 400, all of which were started by typing "run" plus the filename in double quotes:

The Real Computer

Tandy Corporation helped to start the personal computer revolution with its TRS-80 (affectionately known as the "Trash-80") in 1977. Tandy 400 probably gets its name from the Tandy 2000 and 1000, Tandy's first "IBM-PC compatible" machines produced in 1984. However, Tandy did not produce a "400" model, so the naming is probably just to show how old the computer is. However, this could be a reference to the Atari 400, another 8-bit computer. The 400 shares several design features with the TRS-80, including two contrast knobs on the monitor, and a monochrome green display composed of rectangular characters. However, the computer that the Tandy shares its looks with most is probably the Lear-Siegler ADM-3A from the mid-seventies.

The rainbow star logo on Tandy 400 is a play on an early Apple Computer logo which featured a rainbow-colored apple with a missing bite.

Some believe that the Tandy 400 is a model of the Apple II computer, due to the nature of the ProDOS-like operating system and the monitor. In the DVD commentary of "cartoon," Strong Bad refers to it as an "Apple monitor." As well, in the emails sugarbob and retirement, the Tandy made several system sounds used in Mac OS.

Because of the fact that no computer tower is visible, the Tandy (and later, the Compy) may be an homage to the Apple Macintosh, since all of the internal workings were contained in the monitor case itself.

Gallery

Appearances outside Tandy-era Emails

The following Tandy 400 emails are only available on strongbad_email.exe Disc One and are outside the normal numbering scheme:

Personal tools