It is pure cope, whilst software has definitely diluted in quality with the lower barrier to entry... that barrier was never some IQ gate it was mostly socio-economic.

There is a very valid case to be made for the current state of performance but back then if it wasn't optimized for the resource constraints it didn't run -- nowadays software is optimized for shipping quickly so of course it sucks once the buzzword paint falls off.

We're comparing buy-once bespoke boots vs. assembly line fad-of-the-month trainers. The idea that either was the result of some 'giga brain' creators and not market influences is delusional.