Sony unveils VAIO Duo 11 sliding tablet and VAIO Tap 20 ‘tabletop’ PC

Sony has officially made its entry into the Windows 8 touchscreen line up at IFA 2012 with the sliding Duo 11 tablet and Tap 20 desktop-tablet hybrid.

Sony’s certainly making waves at this year’s IFA conference in Berlin after putting the spotlight on three new Xperia-branded smartphones and now announcing their Windows 8 devices set to be released later this year. 

Let’s start with the VAIO Duo 11 — basically Sony’s version of the hybrid PC. The concept plays out in a familiar way with the user being able to choose between keyboard mode and traditional tablet mode. The 11.6-inch screen can display 1080p video and comes with a pressure-sensitive digitizer stylus for handwriting or drawing. The stylus comes with swappable pen tips that allow for a more firm or softer feel when writing. But if you’re prepared to count it out as a seriously powerful device because of the tablet moniker, think again. The Duo 11 comes with some hardcore insides like 128GB or 256GB SSD, Core i3, i5 or i7, GPS, and NFC Wireless. Plus, it has two HD-capable cameras — one on the front and one on back. Pricing has yet to be announced, but Sony is planning for a late October release.

The VAIO Tap 20 brings something a little different to the party. Called a “tabletop” by Sony, the Tap 20 is a 20-inch (1600 x 900 pixels) all-in-one desktop with a highly adjustable kickstand. The touchscreen PC may be a beast in terms of size, but it is still able to run on battery. Sony seems to be pushing it as a portable family PC, but at 11.4 pounds it’s not exactly lightweight. Under the hood, the Tap 20 has the same processing options given to the Duo 11. Catering to the desktop crowd, the storage options offered are 750GB or 1TB. NFC has stuck around though, which we love to see. Unlike the Duo 11, there’s only one front-facing 1.3-megapixel camera. No word on pricing for the Tap 20 either, but it’s set to be released at roughly the same time as it’s convertible cousin.

Both products are supplemented by Sony-only features like ClearAudio+, an audio mode that apparently increases the clarity and presence of your sound with the press of a button. Family Paint is another seemingly Sony-exclusive app that lets two people “draw, paint, sketch and daub simultaneously” from either side of the extra-large Tap 20. The Fingertapps Organizer also appears to be a selling point for the Tap 20, described as a “friendly calendar” to let family members collaborate on the master schedule and see what everyone is up to for the week.