Hands on: Sony Vaio Duo 11 review

With Windows 8 moonlighting as both a tablet and desktop OS, the hybrid tablet-PC idea is one that's reared its head again.
Sony has jumped on this concept at IFA 2012 with the Sony Vaio Duo 11. The device is both an Ultrabook and a tablet – a 'handy' tablet as Sony explains in its press blurb.
Although this sounds like a concept that's going to add extra chunk in the hand, it really isn't.
Although when you lift the Sony Vaio Duo 11 it definitely has weight (1.3kg of it, which is a little heavier than the Microsoft Surface), it is a mere 17.85mm thin when flush and in its tablet state.
The tablet-laptop comes with a 11.6-inch full HD touchscreen panel (1920 x 1080), which you can prod away with using your own fingers, but there's also a stylus on board.
What with Samsung and its S-Pen functionality and Sony with its Duo pointer, the stylus is definitely back in fashion

When upright as a laptop, you wouldn't guess that the Duo 11 has a secret life as a tablet. The screen is sturdy and doesn't slide around on its hinges when you prod it.
The keyboard itself is decent enough, with enough space between the keys to make sure you don't fumble while getting flirty with QWERTY.

There's no trackpad, though, so you have to deal with the optical button in the middle of the keys to move your mouse pointer – or point using your digits or the included stylus. But it is backlit, which is definitely a good thing.
The lack of trackpad did mean that we felt the need to use the stylus a lot more, even when the Duo 11 was in laptop mode.

When it comes to the stylus, the device was nice and thin in the hand and felt as if we could write to at least the legibility of a doctor. It was a much better experience writing on the screen when the Duo 11 was a tablet, but it was still fine when we used the device as a laptop.
Changing the Duo 11 to a tablet was pretty effortless. Sony has called the technology Surf Slider – which makes the hinges on the hybrid Ultrabook sound like a comic-book hero. They're not, but they are functional and sturdy too – there was no sign of strain when we pushed the screen down into tablet mode.

The only worry we had on the design was when we tried to lift the screen back into being a laptop the wrong way. Not only did this mean we got an angry stare from a Sony rep, we did feel a little bit of movement from the hinges. In short: it was a mistake that we wouldn't repeat.

When it comes to connectivity and buttons, we found volume and lock keys on the bottom of the Duo 11, a USB, an HDMI and Ethernet ports and a home button situated at the bottom of the screen, which is used when you take the Duo 11 out for a spin as a tablet.

But, make no mistake, this is a device for pros - its got Windows Pro 8 installed - and will come packing Intel Core i7, i5, or i3 chips. 

The Sony Duo 11 is definitely a product that fills a hole in the PC market, but we're not sure if the convergence of PC and tablet is such a good thing. Personally we prefer to keep our devices separate but if you like the idea of having tablet functionality coupled with a fully functioning Ultrabook then this could be for you.
The Sony Vaio Duo 11 release date is October, with pricing to be announced.