Microsoft has always posted both minimum and recommended system requirements.
You can still see them on Microsoft's site.
The minimum requirements come with a caveat; "Product functionality and graphics may vary based on your system configuration. Some features may require advanced or additional hardware."
Maybe they should have prefaced it with "Cheap is cheap".
I would never purchase anything that barely meets the requirements.
Then again, there are a lot of consumers who buy a $400 laptop and expect miracles.
Maybe Apple has it right. Don't allow anyone else to build a computer for your system because they will inevitably screw it up.