The invention features a system and method for programming, integrating, and controlling the operation of computer peripherals. In brief overview, a computer peripheral is provided with a network communications protocol stack that includes a hypertext transfer protocol (HTTP) layer. The HTTP layer permits the computer peripheral to function as a thin web server. As such, the computer peripheral is able to respond to HTTP requests. In one embodiment, a HTTP enabled computer peripheral augments the functionality of a computing device. According to this embodiment, the HTTP enabled computer peripheral includes an interface module, a data module, and a network communications protocol stack module including a HTTP layer module. In addition the address of the HTTP enabled computer peripheral includes a reference to the computing device.