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Leaked earlier this week, Sony has just announced its VAIO Duo 11 hybrid Windows 8 tablet that features a full backlit keyboard tucked away on a sliding hinge (what Sony calls the "Surf Slider") — a somewhat different take on the portable PC than Microsoft's design for the Surface. It's got a pressure-sensitive digitizer with a choice of two pen tips for writing feel, an 11.6-inch 1920 x 1080 "OptiContrast" panel, 4GB or 8GB of RAM, and a 128GB or 256GB SSD stuffed into a shell that measures 17.85mm when collapsed and weighs 1.3 kilograms (about 2.9 pounds) — a little heavier than the Surface for Windows 8 Pro's 1.99 pounds.
Speaking of Windows 8 Pro, the Duo 11 is a Pro device, carrying an Intel Core i7, i5, or i3 processor depending on configuration — there's no Windows RT here and no sign that Sony is planning an RT variant (yet). Look for it to launch in late October, just in time to capture the first wave of Windows 8 retail launches.
