A tourist on the streets of New York asked a passer-by, "How do you get to Carnegie Hall?" The answer, "Practice, practice, practice."
Your friend was a photographer. Buying an $800 camera will not make you a photographer, or even a better photographer; perhaps a worse one. Buying a violin will not make you a musician, either.
That said, good equipment can't hurt, much. Still you need to look at the photographs that inspire you. The "resolution and sharpness" are likely the least of what attracted you - look at the composition, the framing, the use of light, the subject itself, the point-of-view, field of view, the time of day, distance, focus.
The ability to gather all of these aspects artistically into a shot is what makes a photographer, not the little metal box.
Much of this comes naturally to some people, much of it can be taught and learned.
Great and famous photos have been shot with pinhole cameras, Polaroids, and Brownies, and great photos can be taken today with point-and-shoots.
When you look at what may appear to be lacking in your point-and-shoot pics, and you can say, "Well, if I had been able to adjust this, and this, and this, it would have been a better shot," THEN go out and buy the bigger box.
In the meantime, practice, practice, practice.

Chowhound
Comic Vine
GameFAQs
GameSpot
Giant Bomb
TechRepublic