XOHM has recently updated their "products" page on their official site, featuring laptops that have embedded WiMAX chips. The selling point for these laptops is the alleged convenience - simply activate the internal device and access the network wherever you take your laptop (as long as you're in the coverage area, of course)!

Sounds good, right? We don't think so. Let's look at what you get - and don't get - with an embedded device.

Pros:

• Convenience. No need to take a device with you.
• Save a little money - you don't need to buy a device. However, all of the XOHM devices currently available are so cheap that selecting a laptop based on the prospect of saving $60 seems silly.

Cons:

• No option for ever attaching an antenna to improve your signal! Many, MANY people use antennas to improve the performance of their EVDO devices, and with WiMAX still a ways off from being widely available, many WiMAX users are going to be utilizing them as well. With an embedded device, your only option to improve your signal is an expensive cellular repeater, for which you also need to purchase 2 antennas.
  
• No sharing! The only computer on which you'll be able to use your service is the computer its embedded in (obviously). With a dedicated device, like a USB or ExpressCard modem, you can pop it into ANY computer that has the proper port.
• No WiFi! You have no option of using a router to share the signal with multiple computers.
• Connection manager? It is currently unknown whether these laptops will utilize the carrier's connection manager or if, like the EVDO laptops, you will be limited to using the laptop manufacturer's connection manager. This becomes a big problem when updates to the firmware and new features become available. With a dedicated device, carriers make those updates available immediately - but they do not make it a priority to get these updates to users not using their connection manager.
  
• What if it stops working? Good luck replacing it! It's very difficult just to FIND a replacement chip and even more difficult to actually replace it in the laptop.
• How about upgrading? When EVDO upgraded to Rev-A, customers with EVDO embedded laptops were out of luck and stuck only being able to access the Rev-0 network. If WiMAX upgrades their network in a similar manner, embedded chip users would be unable to upgrade.
  

What do you think? Would you buy one? Discuss on 4G Forums!