Page "Framebuffer" Paragraph 3

Framebuffers differ significantly from the vector displays that were common prior to the advent of the framebuffer.

With a vector display, only the vertices of the graphics primitives are stored.

The electron beam of the output display is then commanded to move from vertex to vertex, tracing an analog line across the area between these points.

With a framebuffer, the electron beam ( if the display technology uses one ) is commanded to trace a left-to-right, top-to-bottom path across the entire screen, the way a television renders a broadcast signal.

At the same time, the color information for each point on the screen is pulled from the framebuffer, creating a set of discrete picture elements ( pixels ).