ASUS takes own turn with WiMAX notebooks

Joining with Acer, Lenovo and Toshiba, ASUS on Wednesday became the latest to unveil its first notebooks specifically capable of using Sprint's new Xohm service. The 14.1-inch F8Va-C2WM is billed as the true mobile WiMAX system of the collection but carries a comparatively high-end 2.53GHz Core 2 Duo, 4GB of RAM and a 320GB hard drive that amount to a $1,599 price point.

The 15.4-inch M50Vm and equally sized N50Vn both put the emphasis more on media playback. The two step down to a 2.26GHz Core 2 Duo but respond with dedicated GeForce 9600M-level video that improves their performance for HD movies and 3D games. Either carries 4GB of RAM but swaps out the hard drive for a 250GB model that helps lower the overall price to $1,399 for each system.

As with most ASUS launches, the company hasn't fixed a ship date, though all three notebooks should be available soon and need at least a $10 day pass or $25 monthly subscription for their wide-area wireless access.

F8Va-C2WM

N50Vn