Classic Computer Magazine Archive COMPUTE! ISSUE 92 / JANUARY 1988 / PAGE 20

The Atari 65XE

I have a 65XE and I am told that it cannot be expanded like the other computers in the XL and XE series. If it can be expanded, please tell me how.

Joe Stinsky

The first generation of Atari computers, the 400 and 800, did not have an expansion bus connector on the machines. This made it difficult to connect accessories and exotic peripherals to the computers.

When the XLs first appeared, one of the big selling points was the addition of an expansion port. Unfortunately, few manufacturers took advantage of this port until recently. Atari decided to make the 65XE their entry-level computer, so they did away with the expansion port to reduce the cost of the computer. The 65XE's big brother, the 130XE, does have an expansion port.