Acer this week demonstrated a new version of its Acer Aspire 5920 laptop with a built-in WiMax module, with the aim of selling the laptop for use with Sprint's Xohm network and similar WiMax services worldwide.

There's some dispute, though, about how exactly it will be sold.

"The notebook will be sold along with WiMax service in a manner similar to the way mobile phones are sold along with service packages, said Trisha Pan, a product marketing manager at Acer, on the sidelines of a WiMax news conference in Taipei," writes InfoWorld's Dan Nystedt.

On the other hand, Sprint spokesman John Polivka has been responding to blog posts by stating, "Acer and other manufacturers are developing access devices which will work on WiMax networks, such as Sprint's Xohm. Their device is not being sold by Sprint, and it will not be tied to any Sprint service plan. The source may be referring to other providers and their service plans. Sprint Xohm will indeed have subscriptions, versus traditional contracts, based on the customer and not the device. In traditional telecom, each device is a customer. We will accomodate multiple devices under each customer, in home and away subscription packages, though details have yet to be announced."

So it sounds like, while it was a nice idea on Acer's part, it would be a little unrealistic to start looking forward to free laptops from Sprint...

More here from Digital Trends ... more here from Engadget ... more here from TechWhack ... more here from Sprint Connection ... and more here from WirelessWeek.