Pre-orders for Windows 8 software and hardware alike have begun in earnest today and Dell's taken that opportunity to start taking sales for its extremely unique and odd XPS 12. We first saw this convertible tablet / laptop hybrid at IFA 2012, and now you can pre-order it for $1,199.99. That'll get you an Intel Core i5 processor, 4GB of RAM, a 128GB solid-state drive, and a 12.5-inch touch display running at a 1920 x 1080 resolution. A nice set of specs, for sure, but the most interesting thing about this device is its swiveling screen that lets you use it as either a tablet or a traditional laptop — while its weight of 3.5 pounds means it's a little heavy for an ultrabook and a lot heavy for a tablet, it's one of the more creative designs we've seen from Dell, or any other manufacturer, for some time.

Dell also updated a few of its all-in-one desktops to be more Windows 8 friendly — the XPS One 27 and Inspiron One 23 now both offer the option to add touch-capable screens. Pricing for the XPS One 27 with a touchscreen starts at $1,599.99, which gets you the 27-inch, 2560 x 1440 touchscreen panel, a Core i5 processor running at up to 3.2GHz, 6GB of RAM, and a 1TB 7200 RPM hard drive. As for the Inspiron One 23, $779.99 will get you a 23-inch 1080p display with touch capability, a Core i3 processor, 4GB of RAM, and a 1TB 7200 RPM hard drive. All of Dell's new touch-capable Windows 8 machines are available for pre-order and should ship by the end of the month.