You have a really interesting question there, because I find myself trying to adapt my own predefined perceptions of cyberspace throughout this book so far. The book talks about Case going in and out of the matrix, which keeps making scenes from the movie pop into my head. Like when they were getting the ROM from sense/net, I kept picturing Trinity tearing through the building. Anyways, I think it’s almost impossible to just conceptualize all the elements of this book without referring back to familiar visuals. As a reader, it’s hard for me to move on without being able to fully conceptualize what I’m reading, or I’ll forget that part of the book even exists. So usually the easiest way for me is to kind of adapt something I know. However, what if there isn’t anything to reference back to? Like Molly’s eyes, she had like glasses implanted into her face? It was a really cool concept, but it was also really weird to visualize, especially because they end up having sex(albeit, it was in the dark, but still, weird). In conclusion, I see pitfalls going about it both ways, but also opportunities at both ends. I see Gibson giving a little extra attention in description to the latter things I’ve mentioned, like when he describes the Moderns as like scientists when he was a teen, which helps a lot; and also like you said, the use of repetition of those unfamiliar words throughout the book so far.