Prior to 1993 NEC all the interior metal water piping was considered part of the GEC system. The NEC 1993 allowed only within five feet of entry to the building as the point of ground because of all the non metallic piping.
Many pre-'93 homes that were upgraded will have three wire receptacles on two wire circuits with the ground going to the closest water pipe. This was especially common for the GFI outlet in the bathroom (required in 1978) until the exception to 210.7(D) in the 1984 NEC allowed a GFI without a ground.
The information that a surge protector will not work without a ground is absolutely correct. Without a ground it has no place for the surge to go. Also a non-ground GFI will offer no protection to the computer even when used with a surge protector.
