A buffer is typically something that exists or is placed between two objects in order to regulate their interactions. Fiberglass insulation acts as a buffer between the cool winter breeze outside a home and the warm air of the living room. It is a buffer in that it controls the interaction between the air in the two rooms by helping to prevent the warm air from leaving and the cool air from entering. In politics, a buffer zone is an area of land that is neutral--it prevents parties on opposite sides of the zone from engaging in an armed conflict. In electronics, buffers are also conflict managers. They are generally segments of physical memory (RAM) that function as diplomats between two processes that, without the buffer, might not function efficiently. A common and simple example is found in most printers: the printer buffer.

A printer buffer serves the...