Half tablet, half laptop: Sony unveils its Windows 8 hybrid Ultrabook

Sony is launching a Windows 8 “hybrid” computer today that is both a laptop and a touchscreen tablet.

The Sony Vaio Duo 11 computer is one of many that will debut on Oct. 26 as Microsoft introduces its latest operating system. This machine will have a split personality, first as an Ultrabook (Intel’s brand name for super-thin, powerful laptops) with a full keyboard. You can also convert into an 11.6-inch tablet computer.

The Duo 11 is available in black and sells for $1,099.

The idea is to give you the flexibility of using a PC or a tablet at any time you choose. The Duo 11 Ultrabook can recognize 10-finger touches simultaneously, and it runs apps such as finger painting or full Microsoft Office programs. You can crop photos and graphics with Sony’s Active Clip app, which allows you to draw roughly around an object and then clips it out for pasting into another background.

You can also use the Note Anytime application for jotting down handwritten notes on the touchscreen.

The Duo 11 weighs 2.84 pounds and comes with a pressure-sensitive digitizer pen that lets you write on the touchscreen. You can use swappable pen tips for a firmer or softer writing style, making it good for sketching. It has a full high-definition touchscreen LCD display, a backlit keyboard, and an Intel Core processor (Core i3 to Core i7). It has a battery sheet that snaps on and extends the life.

The machine can share content with other devices via its near-field communications (NFC) wireless technology. The touchscreen has a spring-loaded sliding mechanism that makes it easy to remove and use as a tablet. It has five hours of battery life, but the sheet battery extends that to 10 hours.

Sony is also offering updates to its laptop families, including the T series, E series, L series, and S series.