I wasn't quite in agreement with this, but hadn't taken time to research otherwise. The other day, my friend Robert A. Cooper reminded me of a science fiction short-story from 1946, "A Logic Named Joe", which I then reread. Note that this story appeared in Astounding Science Fiction when computers were so rare they were individually-named projects at universities; and when television was still several years short of being found in more than a very few homes.

Here's how "A Logic Named Joe" breezily starts:

It was on the third day of August that Joe came off the assembly line, and on the fifth Laurine came into town, and that afternoon I saved civilization. That's what I figure anyhow. ...

Some of Leinster's ideas, seamlessly introduced into this smooth little story:

Desktop:

• Desktop computers in virtually all homes & businesses
• Keyboards and vision screens
• Local logic processing
• Ordinary-language interface (not programming)
• Interactive customizable software

Internet:

• Internet access from your desktop
   
• Country-wide networked databases (including video) on all topics
• Networked accounting software
   
• Television shows on desktop computers
• Real-time weather forecasts, stock quotes, etc.
• Real-time Internet personal telephony and televideo
   
• Private Internet addresses / phone numbers (coded or secret)
   
• Auto-censorship of adult content for children
• Auto-censorship of criminally-slanted queries
   
• On-screen service help
• Service-flash announcements upon individual log-in
• Online access to network maintenance personnel
• Central software upload & modify from desktop computers
• Central software infect from desktop computers
• Automatic customizing software
   
• Coin-operated Internet access in restaurants

And all this personal computer, internet, and telecom technology simply is integral to "A Logic Named Joe". This is not a dull presentation, not a look-at-what's-coming essay disguised as fiction. "A Logic Named Joe" still is quite an enjoyable story!
  

Murray Leinster (real name Will F. Jenkins, 1896-1975) wrote for the slick magazines as well as over two million words of enjoyable science fiction; held a great many patents; and was a nice guy.

Schmitz's ComWeb:
Early SF Desktop Computers & Internet
  

© 2001 Robert Wilfred Franson

Steven Levy's
Insanely Great:
  The Life and Times of Macintosh,
  the Computer That Changed Everything

  This is effectively the inspirational item
for Troynovant.