So it was not a real problem to begin with. A computer didn't solve anything, it just made a small improvement on your usecase.
The bigger point is that it's very easy to point to huge improvements computers have made or to new things computers enable (e.g. collaborative document editing with many authors around the globe and version control). It's much harder to point to things that crypto improves or enables - except for illicit activities.
I'm from 1979, so yes. Now that you mention it, before writing a huge document, you had to think up front what you were going to write and how to write it.
So now that I think about it, the computer is actually a step backwards in some way.
I'll stick with my non-raid, not-backed-up, sqlite file on my 10yo hard drive, please and thank you. (Err.. I mean piece of paper)
For example: I can edit text on a computer more easily than with pencil and paper.
Blockchain proponents find it very difficult to give similar answers for what blockchains make possible.