I didn’t count my hearing aid as “ear buds” because I thought of ear buds as an auxiliary to the computer, but I can see your point.
My story is similar. It was in October/November 1984 at the Army & Air Force Exchange Post Exchange in Robin son Barracks, Stuttgart, Germany where I was deciding between a Macintosh and an Apple IIc The prices were similar but I went with the IIc because it included a printer, the Scribe. A week later I went back to the PX, and bought the external 5.25" drive. I still have the IIc items I bought, along with upgrades, except the Scribe printer.
He probable used the Apple IIe, of course! Remember he bought it IN 1982.