Inspiron inspiration behind Dell's twisty XPS Duo 12 laptop

Inspiron inspiration behind Dell's twisty XPS Duo 12 laptop
Twist and shout... and tab

Dell's newest additions launched at IFA 2012 are multifunctional Windows 8 friendly devices, with the XPS Duo 12 leading the pack.

Dell describes the XPS Duo 12 as "tablet meets notebook, meets genius" thanks to its flip-hinge design that allows you to use it as a laptop when open or a tablet when closed (just like the original Dell Inspiron Duo, and a bunch of Asus' new slate-cum-notebooks).

It's a 12.5-inch ultraportable laptop-style device crafted from machined aluminium and carbon fibre, while the Full HD screen should set the whole thing off pretty nicely.

CPU talk

There's the option to go for an Intel Core i7 CPU, although lower-spec, lower-price options will also be available on release.

Windows RT isn't left out in the cold thanks to the new Dell XPS 10 Windows RT tablet with detachable keyboard.

Dell reckons this will give you 20 hours of battery life (although it hasn't specified what you'll be doing during that 20 hours) from the slate that is less than 10mm thick.

The Dell XPS 10 and XPS Duo 12 will both be available when Windows 8 launches at the end of October, with pricing details to be announced.

Also unveiled at IFA 2012 was a new all-in-one Windows 8 PC – check out our hands on Dell XPS One 27 review for more on that.

News Editor (UK)

Former UK News Editor for TechRadar, it was a perpetual challenge among the TechRadar staff to send Kate (Twitter, Google+) a link to something interesting on the internet that she hasn't already seen. As TechRadar's News Editor (UK), she was constantly on the hunt for top news and intriguing stories to feed your gadget lust. Kate now enjoys life as a renowned music critic – her words can be found in the i Paper, Guardian, GQ, Metro, Evening Standard and Time Out, and she's also the author of 'Amy Winehouse', a biography of the soul star.