Sony's flexible hybrid Vaio Duo 11 (pictures)

The Vaio Duo 11, introduced today at the IFA show in Berlin, can slide and shift forms between a laptop and tablet for those who can't make up their mind.

Roger Cheng Aug. 29, 2012, 9:07 a.m. PT

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Vaio Duo 11 in tablet mode

The Sony Vaio Duo 11, introduced today at the IFA show in Berlin, can slide and shift between a laptop and tablet. Here is the tablet form, designed to work with the new touch-friendly Windows 8 operating system.

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Typing on the Vaio Duo 11

Sony is likely hoping the Duo will give Microsoft's Surface a run for its money. The Surface has its own thin keyboard/cover hybrid. It's unclear when the Duo will hit the U.S. though.

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Vaio Duo 11 in laptop form

The Vaio is geared toward consumers who can't decide between a laptop and a tablet.

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A thicker profile

As a result of its hybrid mode, the Vaio Duo 11 isn't the thinnest tablet in the market.

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Vaio Duo 11 with display up

A hinge allows the display to slide up and the keyboard to slide out.

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Vaio Duo 11 a test of Windows 8

The Vaio Duo 11 will be a good indicator of how well Windows 8 works on multiple forms. Past tablets running on older Windows operating systems were generally considered clunky.