Ctrl+Alt+Del (webcomic)

Ctrl+Alt+Del (abbreviated CAD) is a gaming-related webcomic and animated series written by Tim Buckley. The name of the comic refers to the Windows command Control-Alt-Delete. Premiering on October 23, 2002, the comic's focus has gradually shifted away from single strip gags towards longer story arcs and greater continuity through the use of video game references. Ctrl+Alt+Del currently is updated every Monday, Wednesday and Friday.

Ctrl+Alt+Del has provided Buckley with enough income to make a living, placing Ctrl+Alt+Del in a small group of web comics that receive full-time devotion from their artist. Beginning June 2008, a number of smaller, humour themed batch-released strips entitled "CAD Sillies" began running on the news feeds, although they were soon given their own section on the site. By May 2009, the commercially viable Ctrl+Alt+Del had received 38 million page views and was receiving 1.8 million monthly unique visitors.

Plot

The plot of Ctrl+Alt+Del revolves around Ethan, the protagonist and an over-the-top video game fanatic, and his sarcastic roommate Lucas, who provides an unheeded voice of reason to Ethan's flamboyant actions. Together with Ethan's girlfriend, now wife, Lilah, the three engage in turmoil which the comic storyline conveys through independent gaming-related puns by utilizing well-known game titles, consoles and pop culture references. A psychotic Chef Brian, ninjas, and mysterious out-of-the-blue arrows occasionally appear in the series, adding a note of randomness to the comic.

Control-Alt-Delete

Control-Alt-Delete (often abbreviated to Ctrl+Alt+Del, also known as the "three-finger salute") is a computer keyboard command on IBM PC compatible computers, invoked by pressing the Delete key while holding the Control and Alt keys: Ctrl+Alt+Delete. The function of the key combination differs depending on the context but it generally interrupts or facilitates interrupting a function. For instance, in pre-boot environment (before an operating system starts) or in DOS, Windows 3.0 and earlier versions of Windows or OS/2, the key combination reboots the computer. Starting with Windows 3.1, the command invokes a task manager or security related component that facilitates ending a Windows session.

History

The soft reboot function via keyboard was originally designed by David Bradley. Bradley, as the chief engineer of the IBM PC project and developer of the machine's ROM-BIOS, had originally used Ctrl+Alt+Esc, but found it was too easy to bump the left side of the keyboard and reboot the computer accidentally. According to his own account, Hallerman, who was the chief programmer of the project, therefore suggested switching the key combination to Ctrl+Alt+Del as a safety measure, a combination impossible to press with just one hand on the original IBM PC keyboard.