The simulation programs on today's PCs require so much hardware because there is a whacking great bloated operating system (Windows, for all that CD is familiar with), which by itself consumes enormous resources, and a program that must drive all the fancy graphics and sound effects.

Computers like the AGC don't really have much in the way of an operating system, and don't need to make pretty pictures. I've written spacecraft code on a system that had no OS at all. It had, IIRC, 128K each of EEROM and static RAM, and we didn't use all of either, and the code wasn't optimized for space (memory, that is) at all.

So, just to pile on to what's been said - no, CosmicDave's arguments about Apollo computers are based on sheer, shared ignorance - his own and that of those who buy into his blitherings.