Programming the system is done simply with several switches on the front panel. The information entered and the status of the job currently in the processor can be read via LEDs - by default this is the only output system included with the Altair 8800, but via additional cards that can be placed on the bus it can system, including a paper tape reader for storage, extra RAM cards and an RS-232 connection that allows the Altair to be connected to a Teletype monitor.

The bus used by the Altair, the S-100 bus, later became a de facto standard within the computer industry, officially recognized by the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, or IEEE for short.

Although the Altair 8800 was soon replaced by other systems, it is still an important system in the history of the home computer.