The Atari 800 is an 8-bit home computer released by Atari, Inc. in 1979. It was part of the Atari 8-bit family and featured a custom chip for graphics and sound, allowing for colorful visuals and rich audio. The system came with 8 KB of RAM, expandable to 48 KB, and supported a variety of peripherals, including disk drives and printers. The Atari 800 was known for its compatibility with the popular Atari 2600 video game console, enabling users to play games on both systems. It also supported a range of software, including educational programs and games, making it a versatile choice for home computing.