"Block Transfer Computations" should not to be confused with the more
pedestrian "computed block transfers" or even the venerable "block
structured computations" (better known as "block structured code"),
although the latter is used as well.

As Doctor Who would be delighted to explain, "block transfer computa-
tions" are computations sooo complex that no computer can handle them.
However by exploiting the power of XPL0 and avoiding defenestration by
Windows you can now witness this historic event in your very own home!

First of all you need a video card that can handle 1024x768 graphics in
256 colors, along with VESA version 1.2 or later. Anything made in the
last decade should be more than up to the task.

The real problem is Windows. It just doesn't like to run DOS
applications. Each new version is less and less able to do so.

If you run BTC under Windows 3.1, 95 or 98, be sure to start it from a
DOS prompt in full-screen mode. (Alt+Enter flips back and forth between
windowed and full-screen mode.)

If you're running under Windows XP, BTC will automatically start in
full-screen mode, so that isn't a problem. The problem occurs if you also
happen to be using one of the popular nVidia display cards. WinXP won't
let a DOS program set the resolution to anything above 640x480. The
easiest way around this is to reboot your computer into DOS, but a better
solution is to install this patch: http://www.volny.cz/martin.sulak/

If you're running Windows Vista, you can pretty much kiss DOS apps
goodbye. However DosBox (or Virtual PC) might handle them.
http://www.dosbox.com/information.php?page=0

Perhaps the Doctor was right.

-Loren
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