Word processing machines took a similar route. When computers were new and novel, they cost so much that you had to be a government, a university, or a very successful corporation to own or even use one. As soon as a small computer could be manufactured and sold at a price on par with what it cost to hire an accountant, this changed dramatically. Today, you and I can afford to own a computer system that a couple of decades ago would have cost a real fortune, not to mention the additional cost of a special room, electricity, air conditioning, and a swarm of technicians to keep it all running. I enjoyed developing these products, and people enjoy playing with them, but the simple programs I created that attempted to use a computer as a personal business machine were often more fun than function.
Software tools are an entirely different matter.
It makes sense to have as many tools as you can effectively use. These include spreadsheet programs, drawing and graphics programs, serious financial programs, simulations of all sorts, and, of course, word processing software. While you may not have a personal typing pool that needs speeding up or a business that requires computer-based financial management, you certainly do have ideas to express, information to share, and communications with others that must be clear and readily understood. Personal computers have come of age. And they keep getting better, faster, more powerful, and even less expensive.