In computing, a buffer is a region of memory used to temporarily hold output or
input data, comparable to buffers in telecommunication. The data can be output to or input
from devices outside the computer or processes within a computer. Buffers can be implemented in
either hardware or software, but the vast majority of buffers are implemented in software. Buffers
are used when thereis a difference between the rate at which data is received and the rate at which
it can be processed, or in the case that these rates are variable, for example in a printer spooler.[@more@]