Digital computers process only discrete digital data.
Bootstrap - A technique for loading the first few instructions of a computer program into active memory and then using them to bring in the rest of the program. Buffer Storage - A place for storing information in either a computer or control unit so that it is immediately available for action once the previous instructions have been completed. Buffers eliminate the need to wait for information to be transferred from a slower bulk storage medium into active memory. Cartesian Coordinates - A system of two or three mutually perpendicular axes along which any point may be located in terms of distance and direction from any other point. Chip - Small piece of semiconductor material upon which electronic components and subassemblies are formed.