I'd argue the pdp8 opened the floodgates. That's when the cost of digital computing dropped to the point a research grant or even just discretionary spending in a university department could pay for one, and you didn't need a special room and power supply.
the 11 was when it became more useful. But the 8 was how people realised you could move beyond a calculator to a computer.
the 11 was when it became more useful. But the 8 was how people realised you could move beyond a calculator to a computer.