In 10th grade I had to take a typing course on IBM selectric typewriters.
I agree that computers in education as used in most schools are counterproductive, but it is a very big stretch to say that they are the main problem.
My wife taught in a public school in NYC a few years ago, (speech, which means that the kids really had problems), how many parents do you think actually came to see her? Very few!! If the parents aren't involved and interested in their children's education then nothing is going to work.
Kids to day suffer from a short attention span due to playing video games and watching endless hours of TV, not really related to Microsoft. When I was growing up, I walked around with a book in my hand and was reading every spare minute. How many kids do that today with all the distractions of TV, DVD's, and video games. Again, this has very little to do with the introduction of computers into the classroom.