I know that some ballasts rely on the grounded metal close to the lamp for starting. Your original statement was about electronic equipment, not lamp ballasts. There is no reason a computer, TV, stereo, etc. should use the ground for power. Modern electronics all run on low DC voltages (12V, 5V, 3V, etc.), and these DC voltages are produced by a power supply. The power supply only needs the line and neutral. The ground is there only for safety.
Again, fluorescent lamps (and perhaps other ballasted lamps) are a special case, and some of those do need a ground for proper operation. Computers, stereos, etc. do not. (An earth ground may have an impact on system noise on a stereo.)
