Toshiba slides out hybrid laptop-tablet Satellite U920t

Toshiba has unveiled the Satellite U920t, a Windows 8 tablet that can also be used as a laptop. Instead of pushing the screen down until it clicks into place in the keyboard dock, slide the screen forwards and then pull it towards you. However, Sony has already announced a Vaio laptop-tablet hybrid that has a similar slider screen mechanism.

Read more: Windows 8 news | IFA 2012 updates

Despite the intricate-looking mechanism, the aluminum and plastic build of the Satellite U920t feels robust. The laptop-tablet hybrid will have a 12.5in touchscreen with a resolution of 1,920x1,080 pixels, up to 8GB of RAM, solid state disks up to 256GB in capacity, two USB3 ports and weigh just under 1.5kg. Since the screen doesn't detach from the keyboard like other Windows 8 hybrid computers, this weight remains the same whether you're using the Satellite as a laptop or as a tablet.

Although Toshiba has a history of announcing quirky touchscreen computers that never make it to the UK, the Satellite U920t is more likely to hit British stores as it's one of Toshiba's flagship Windows 8 computers. Despite this, exact UK pricing and availability has yet to be announced.