Computing Across America, Chapter 28 by Steven K. Roberts April 8, 1984 We ain’t got no accent, man, but ah kin shore tell yore from the noath. — Teenager in Vancleave, Miss. It was a land of spring green, little yellow flowers, and open, windy fields. I rode along with the sudden feeling of being…

Read More

Computing Across America, Chapter 27 by Steven K. Roberts April 2, 1984 (photo above by Dan Burden) Panaceas are a dime a dozen.— Kacy Branstetter The first big issue of the panhandle involved a fork in the road. I pedaled south from fragrant Tallahassee, the dogwoods and azaleas flashing in the sun, flowers brightening even…

Read More

This is the print version of my online column on CompuServe (arguably, the first travel blog, though of course “blog” had no meaning yet). Here, I was blissfully immersed in Key West while my old Ohio home was freezing… the story was written on the beach in January, and references “the ultimate blind date” that…

Read More

Above: cyclist-writer Steve Roberts and his recumbent bicycle (Photo by Joe Rayos) By Joe Rayos Pensacola News March 30, 1984 Corporate America, watch out. The administrative workplace of the future just might be the “Winnebiko,” especially if Steve Roberts has anything to say about it. Roberts is a freelance writer who has taken the newest…

Read More

The end of March, 1984, was a flurry of activity… my house sold, magazine articles were happening, I was meeting interesting people on the road, and local contacts led to a media dance in Pensacola. The best of those was this relaxed 10-minute interview with Phil Burger of the local NPR affiliate, WUWF. The photo…

Read More

Photo by Louise Allen Franklin County News March 29, 1984 Steve Roberts, of Columbus, Ohio is a really “laid-back” person. Even the bicycle he rides on his round the States tour is totally laid-back, and he rides it in a reclining position with feet forward, steering with handlebars under his seat. He, and his custom-made bicycle,…

Read More

by Keith Blackmar Wakulla News March 29, 1984 There are many people in the world today that seem to be tired of the grind of a nine to five job. The number of people who actually do something about their complaint are small. One individual who has done something about his situation, came pedaling through Crawfordville…

Read More

I happened to capture this short snippet on my little cassette recorder, which was having some noise issues… but hey, it’s historical data! I spent a few days in Pensacola at the end of March ’84, got to know a local attorney who helped with the sale of my house in Ohio, and stayed with…

Read More

My first significant corporate sponsor, way back in 1983 when I started on this adventure, was Solarex. Starting with a 5-watt photovoltaic array for the Winnebiko, they took care of my electrical power generation needs for over a decade… 20 watts for the Winnebiko II, 82 watts for BEHEMOTH, and 510 watts for the Microship.…

Read More

Computing Across America, Chapter 26 by Steven K. Roberts Tallahassee, Florida — March 22, 1984 photo above by Dan Burden The bicycle is a learning machine. — Dan Burden Every subculture has its gurus and pioneers. The early wizards of the microcomputer world were elevated to legendary status within a decade of the industry’s birth;…

Read More