For 95% of photographers, the difference is insignificant. (I'm assuming you refer to light/color response, rather than shutter release time...)
With regard to resolution, witness the Nikon D3X.
35mm film has roughly 20 megapixel resolution. The D3X? 24.5 megapixels.
Yes, it's currently an $8,000 camera, but that boat on the horizon is headed our way quickly. For the great majority of uses, the age of film is drawing to a close.
It isn’t about “megapixels”. That’s marketing working on you.
Even Canon’s developers got frustrated with that bar of measure. It’s all about the optical sensor.