Custom Laptop Build

Have we reached a point in geekdom where PC system builders can cross-over to laptops, safely unlatching ourselves from the teet of the big-time manufacturers (Dell, Apple, etc.)?

I sure hope so.

I posed a similar question to Google, which returned seemingly helpful articles that detailed some pros and (mostly) cons of starting with a barebones, modular laptop case and building up from there. Unfortunately, said articles were quite dated; ie. tomshardware circa 2005 and pcmech crica 2007.

So now I turn to you guys...

Anyone on these forums have experience building a custom laptop? If so, what should I consider? Is functionality and/or performance sacrificed?



Cheers!

Brady