My brief few months as a USA Today columnist in 1984 opened a few doors during the bicycle trip… exploring interesting ways people were starting to use personal computers. This interview reveals what were then some novel concepts (and it was an awesome dinner!) by Steven K. Roberts USA Today October 4, 1984 ASPEN, Colo. —…

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This odd little non-sequitur was one of my favorite examples of what I called the “lifestyle sampler” that resulted from spending a year and half on the road, staying in peoples’ homes. Through a fortuitous error and the magic of media, I ended up getting to know two wonderful people… both of whom are sadly…

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A short little piece in Enter Magazine, by Children’s Television Workshop… and the image above is from the Sunday Comics of September 30, 1984. Enter — October, 1984 You’ve heard of people who peddle their goods. Well, here’s an example that might make you blow a circuit. Steve Roberts, 31, of Columbus, Ohio, wanted to find…

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Computing Across America, chapter 43 by Steven K. Roberts Telluride, Colorado September 28, 1984 You don’t need big words; you need big eyes… Judith of Telluride It was a time of reflection and change. I stopped in Telluride as a punch-drunk quarterback might stumble to the sidelines — watching dazed from the bench as the…

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This was a bit of a departure from my usual material for the “Computing Across America” column in USA Today, but it was a hot-button issue while I was staying with a Lake City friend on my bicycle trip.  Steven K. Roberts USA Today September 20, 1984 Lake City, Colo. — Environmental issues are seldom…

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With the Winnebiko in northern New Mexico

The timing of my Computing Across America adventure was no accident; it was the convergence of portable computing, networks, solar power, and recumbent bicycles that made it possible. The technology was very much in the news, given how much it was radically impacting the lives of journalists… this article focuses on that angle, with my…

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Computing Across America, chapter 42 by Steven K. Roberts Aspen, Colorado September 16, 1984 (photo above by Jeffrey Aaronson, Aspen, September 1984) My day was exciting too. I didn’t ride down any mountains, but I took Leah to the Beechwold Library and we got the baby carriage up to almost 5 mph on the sidewalk!…

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Steve Roberts and Winnebiko at Maroon Bells - Jeffrey Aaronson, Aspen

This 1984 photo session was by Jeffrey Aaronson of Aspen, and yielded some gorgeous images as well as nonstop interesting conversation. He was originally hired by National Geographic to do the shoot for a book on computers, and this additional image from the same day was used in Hewlett-Packard press releases about their Model 110…

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This brief story appeared during my stay in Aspen, a dreamy interlude in the Computing Across America adventure. Staying with fascinating people, doing a gorgeous photo session in the Maroon Bells, exploring the street life of an upscale town, and even profiling a fancy restaurant for USA Today… it was quite a week. Logs Cross-Country…

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This interview took place the day after a terrifying event… losing my brakes on McClure Pass and flying down the mountain, out of control, watching my life flash before me just as they say it does…. I leaned hard into a hairpin turn, squeezing the one brake lever and sensing only the slightest deceleration. This…

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