Combining a touchscreen display with a desktop machine is not a new idea, but Sony has chosen to give the full HD 1080p panel of its Tap 20 device the unusual feature of being able to run from a built-in battery.

This essentially turns the whole thing into one oversized tablet, which is not reliant on a mains power supply.

While you can use a keyboard and mouse to control things while the Tap 20 is propped on a desk, you can also detach all of the wires and take it away as a single unit that can be used on your lap, or placed flat on any available surface.

Using the touch-optimised Windows 8 operating system, the Tap 20 is not only larger than other tablet devices but also has more powerful components. An Intel Core i5 processor, 4GB of RAM and a 750GB hard drive are all present and correct.

It weighs over five kilograms, so it is not exactly portable. But as a fresh approach to Windows 8 and tablet-style computing, the Tap 20 is definitely an intriguing experiment.

A series of benchmarks carried out by NenaMark have uncovered the existence of the previously unheard of Sony tablet, which has the model name of V150.

Reports suggest that the touch panel tablet will sport a native resolution of 1280x752 for some lovely HD visuals, although the iPad 3's pixel count is still significantly higher.

Inside a quad core Nvidia Tegra 3 processor clocked at 1.4GHz will be humming away, powering version 4.0 of the Android operating system, presumably with Sony's own interface laid on top.

In terms of raw performance, the quad core chip inside the V150 is easily able to outdo the dual core CPU found onboard Sony's previous tablets.

It is not yet clear precisely what size touch panel screen will be present on this upcoming release, although it will presumably be between 7 and 10 inches, given the typical tablet areas available at the moment.

The main issue for Sony will be making its next generation tablets stand out from the new Apple iPad, particularly in terms of price.

According to a news site based in Japan, the deal between these three firms has already been struck and the four inch display size is also confirmed, which means the fifth iPhone will be a definite evolution of this long running range.

Apple has such high demands for its smartphones that it has regularly outsourced the production of components to more than one firm, which is why it is no surprise to see both Sony and Hitachi apparently onboard for the iPhone 5's touch panel.

Meanwhile, the next iPad is also being heavily discussed and the latest rumours suggest that Sharp will be working with Apple to supply the touch panel displays for this next generation tablet.

Looking even further down the line, the fourth iPad, which could be launching in 2013, will see Apple unite with an unspecified Taiwanese touch panel firm, for perhaps the most revolutionary iteration of the device so far.

The Tablet P will retail for £499 and it includes both Wi-Fi and 3G connectivity, along with 4GB of onboard storage space.

It will be interesting to see where the Tablet P fits into the market because it is not an obvious rival to the likes of the iPad 2 or fellow Android-based tablets like the Motorola Xoom.

Sony will be looking to leverage the fact that the clamshell design and dynamic lower touch panel display will allow it to act like a miniature laptop, letting users type comfortably and at a faster pace than on most tablets, which can be unwieldy in this respect.

For £399 you can pick up the more typical Sony Tablet S, with its 9.4 inch touch panel display and Wi-Fi only connectivity option.