Hewsan, I'm like you, I want to model a lot of detail in. Now, depending on your requirements, low poly models (using textures and such) are required mostly professionally. Game design for instance. The problem you run into with low poly high textures is movement. I'm sure you've played at least a game or two. Half Life for instance. As you pan around characters if you really watch them, you see how low the poly count is due to all the 'blocky' looks on everything. Now as computers get faster, engines able to handle more, etc., you'll see them slowly getting more complex. Game Developer this month has a nice article on using SubDivided Surfaces within games. If the engine can keep it to the control mesh and work with on the fly subdivision, it should be able to allow highly complex models without killing peoples systems. But if you've exacted the final mesh from a Smoothed object, you know the "poly" count can be very high. But if you want a very detailed model, which looks great in animations, quick camera moves and all that, the poly count will reflect it. As a hobbyist, I too go for higher poly counts. Also, since my own Animation needs are limited it does allow me to go beyond what I system can handle a lot, as Im only after the final render of a single frame.

The doctor says I have way too much blood in my caffeine system.