Editing Atari 8-bit computers (section)

==Peripherals==
{{Main|Atari 8-bit computer peripherals}}
[[File:Atari 1020 plotter.jpg|thumb|[[Atari 1020]] four-color [[plotter]]]]

During the lifetime of the 8-bit series, Atari released a large number of peripherals including cassette tape drives, 5.25-inch floppy drives, printers, modems, a touch tablet, and an 80-column display module.

Atari's peripherals use the proprietary [[Atari SIO]] port, which allows them to be [[daisy chain (electrical engineering)|daisy chain]]ed together. A primary goal of the Atari computer design was user-friendliness which was assisted by the SIO bus. Since only one kind of connector plug is used for all devices the Atari computer was easy for novice users to expand. Atari SIO devices use an early form of plug-n-play. Peripherals on the bus have their own IDs, and can deliver downloadable drivers to the Atari computer during the boot process. The additional electronics in these peripherals made them cost more than the equivalent "dumb" devices used by other systems of the era.