Debuting at CeBIT in March, Asus' 17.3-inch N73 gaming notebook is now shipping to US customers. Model N73JN-X1 is currently available through Newegg for $1,000 and offers a 1600x900 display, a 2.4GHz Intel Core i5 450M processor, an Nvidia GeForce GT 335M with 1GB of DDR3 VRAM, 4GB of DDR3 1066MHz system memory (supports up to 8GB), a 500GB 7200RPM hard drive, and a DVD burner.
Interestingly, there's no direct mention of Nvidia Optimus being present. Earlier reports indicated that the graphics switching technology would ship in many of Asus' upcoming entertainment notebooks, including the N73, and it would make sense to advertise that feature, if only for marketing purposes. We're guessing the notebook has Optimus, but it's just not included in Newegg's spec sheet.
Additional details include a 2.0-megapixel webcam, HDMI-out along with other conventional I/O ports, a six-cell battery, Windows 7 Home Premium x64, and a one-year accidental warranty.