For me, a laptop is all about functionality. The more features it has and the more it can do for me, the better. Performance is important, but reliability is moreso. For some, reliability and features aren't enough. They need absolute extreme performance, and many laptop manufacturers have been catering to them with performance laptops. Most recently, Asus is preparing to update their very flashy line of Lamborghini laptops. The next edition, dubbed "Lamborghini VX1 Golden Edition", is a beast in small form with a Core 2 duo mobile, 2GB of DDR2-667 RAM, a GeForce 7400 VX and a 160GB HDD. In laptop terms, that's pretty much the absolute top of the line. Gigabit ethernet, stock a/b/g wireless, a 1400x1050 resolution display and other features also decorate the laptop, which definitely will not be cheap.
These sorts of machines are obviously not intended to be portable workstations, but rather portable gaming machines or replacement desktops. More than just that, the specs on some of these newer laptops even outpace a large majority of midrange desktops. The only arena they can't compete in currently is price.