A popular series of jokes titled “Variation of a lightbulb theme” was posted by Roger Wells on net.jokes on July 24, 1982:

How many hardware engineers does it take to change a lightbulb?
None, we’ll fix it in software.

How many software engineers does it take to change a lightbulb?
None, we’ll document it in the manual.

How many tech writers does it take to change a lightbulb?
None, the user can work it out.

A slight variation was posted on eunet.jokes on February 28, 1990:

How many hardware guys does it take to screw in a light bulb?
“Well, the diagnostics say it’s fine, buddy, so it’s a software problem.”

“How many Microsoft engineers does it take to change a light bulb?” and “How many programmers does it take to change a light bulb?” are related “light bulb” jokes.


Google Groups: net.jokes
Variation of a lightbulb theme
rog...@sri-unix
7/24/82
Based on several years experience, I claim the changing of the bulb actually
goes as follows:

How many hardware engineers does it take to change a lightbulb?
None, we’ll fix it in software.

How many software engineers does it take to change a lightbulb?
None, we’ll document it in the manual.

How many tech writers does it take to change a lightbulb?
None, the user can work it out.

--Roger Wells

Google Books
11 January 1988, Computerworld, “The perfect scapegoat for a multitude of sins” by Amy Sommerfeld Fiore, pg. 17, col. 1:
(How many hardware engineers does it take to change a light bulb? None, it’s a software problem.

Google Groups: soc.culture.vietnamese
More jokes ...
KieuChinh Le
11/4/90
Q: How many hardware engineers does it take to change a lightbulb?
A: None, “we’ll fix it in software”

Q: How many software engineers does it take to change a lightbulb?
A: None, “we’ll document it in the manual”

Q: How many tech writers does it take to change a lightbulb?
A: None, “the user can work it out”

Google Groups: eunet.jokes
Ok.. You asked for it. LIGHTBULB JOKES GALORE !!
Computer Society
2/28/90
(...)
How many hardware guys does it take to screw in a light bulb?
“Well, the diagnostics say it’s fine, buddy, so it’s a software problem.”

Google Groups: alt.sources
My Definitive Fortune Cookies (part 08 of 10)

Karl Lehenbauer
7/22/91
(...)
How many hardware guys does it take to change a light bulb?
“Well the diagnostics say it’s fine buddy, so it’s a software problem.”

Google Groups: rec.humor
Looking for light bulbs jokes
Avrom Faderman
7/13/93
In article <1993Jul12....@merlin.dev.cdx.mot.com> writes:
>Q: How many software engineers does it take to screw in a light bulb??
>
>A: None.  It’s a hardware problem

Q:  How many hardware engineers does it take to change a lightbulb?
A:  None.  “We’ll fix it in software.”

Q:  How many software engineers does it take to change a lightbulb?
A:  None.  “We’ll document it in the manual.”

Q:  How many tech writers does it take to change a lightbulb?
A:  None.  “The user can work it out.”

Google Groups: rec.sport.soccer
USSF dumps adidas, signs with NIKE
Steve Robbins
8/17/94
(...)
How many hardware engineers does it take to change a lightbulb?
None: “We’ll fix it in software.”

How many software engineers does it take to change a lightbulb?
None: “We’ll document it in the manual.”

How many tech writers does it take to change a lightbulb?
None: “The user can work it out.”

Google Groups: comp.edu
Software Engineers? 
dcw
5/25/95
(...)
How many hardware engineers does it take to change a lightbulb?
None: “We’ll fix it in software.”

How many software engineers does it take to change a lightbulb?
None: “We’ll document it in the manual.”

How many tech writers does it take to change a lightbulb?
None: “The user can work it out.”

Google Groups: uk.religion.christian
“How many Existentialists does it take to screw in a light bulb?”
Robert Billing
5/2/96
In article <4ma3tm$q...@lemon.easynet.co.uk>
“Matthew Harding” writes:
> Is there more where that came from, it made me laugh!

How many hardware engineers… none, they get the software guys to develop a work-around.

Twitter
Fortune Tweets
‏@fortunetweet
How many hardware guys does it take to change a light bulb?
“Well the diagnostics say it’s fine buddy, so it’s a software problem.”
4:00 PM - 3 Feb 2008

Twitter
ロボ子ちゃん
‏@roboko_001
Q:How many hardware engineers does it take to change a light bulb?A:None.  We’ll fix it in software.Q:How many system
7:07 AM - 10 Aug 2016