Dell has joined the ranks of PC makers showcasing hybrid Windows 8 touch devices during IFA this week, and although that's mostly unsurprising, we imagine few expected to see the Duo revived. In mid-2010, the company made headlines over a relatively novel convertible netbook design that allowed the screen to flip vertically 180-degrees inside the display frame instead of pivoting on a horizontal hinge or, as is more common with today's tablet/notebook combinations, separating from the base entirely.

The Inspiron Duo hit shelves by holiday 2010 and although it remained in stock periodically over the following year or so, Dell never really made another push with the design – at least not until now. The new XPS Duo 12 revisits the concept with a seemingly identical conversion mechanism that flips the display inside out. However, instead of outfitting it with low-end parts, Dell is trying to position the system as a premium offering, complete with machined aluminum, carbon fiber and Corning Gorilla Glass.

The XPS Duo 12 is said to weigh a tad over three pounds and features a 12-inch 1080p 10-point multitouch display (possibly IPS, but this is unconfirmed) with edge-to-edge glass, Intel Ivy Bridge Core i5 and i7 processors, a 256GB SSD, USB 3.0 ports and a mini-DisplayPort connector. Folks at IFA report that it has a solid keyboard, touchpad and build quality, but detailed specs aren't available currently. Likewise, pricing is unknown and will presumably remain that way until we're closer to Windows 8's launch.