Why do so many nerds extrapolate the limits of their hardware requirements onto others? Trust me, general use of computers is far more diverse in hardware requirements than most nerds want to believe. Take for example all hobby artists(Photo, video, music), or like my mother, doing patterns for sewing, stitching etc. My brother uses his computer to help him with his hobby of working on old boats, including doing CAD. Both need beefier hardware than I do when I code. I can just put a compile on when I go and do some household chores etc, while they need beefy hardware to actively work with their tasks.
Gaming is far more widespread now than it was 12 years ago, and contrary to the popular meme here on Slashdot, it's not just flash-games. My mother loves the Settlers games, my sister loves Sims. My dad is a fan of Trainz, which requires rather massive hardware, and it's not just about RAM and storage... He's building a scenario based on where he grew up, and how he remembered it. And he's no computer nerd either. Yet he needs more hardware than I do.