Anyone care to answer a question? (Score 1)

As an aspiring geek (not smart enough for full geekdom) I'm kinda clueless about computer programming. I love Q2 and Q3, so this article is of interest to me, but I'm a bit confused about something. Why is such a large computer needed to program something that's easily playable on a PC? They make map making utilities for the end users, so I figure it can't be THAT powerhungry... thanks