Hands On: Travels with PowerPoint

When you want to travel light and still show your PowerPoint presentation, the combination of a nifty PDA accessory and a 2-lb. projector makes a compelling package.

By Russell Kay

July 1, 2002 12:00 PM ET

Computerworld - Just a couple of years ago, taking a PowerPoint presentation on the road was a real drag. In addition to your 7-lb. laptop computer, you also needed to carry along a heavy (6 to 10 lb.), bulky and fragile projector if your audience was going to be bigger than a couple of people.
Today, your load can be significantly lighter. There are now numerous laptops available in the 3- to 4-lb. range. And for a real help in packing, there's now a tiny, 2-lb. projector from Plus Vision Corporation of America in Beaverton, Ore., that's incredibly good.
But for the utmost in lightening your load, a new accessory called Presenter-to-Go from Margi Systems Inc. in Fremont, Calif., lets you feed your PowerPoint presentation to that 2-lb. projector directly from a Palm or Pocket PC handheld device.
A Lighter Light
A year and a half ago, Computerworld gave high marks to Compaq Computer Corp.'s then-new iPaq projector \. At just under 3 lb., it was the lightest available projector at the time. The V-807 model from Plus Vision isn't quite as good a performer, but it is designed to project a lower-resolution, less-bright image. It also makes some compromises in order to achieve the smallest possible size and weight and to keep its list price down to $2,495. (It's readily available for $2,295.)


V-807 Plus Vision Corporation of America $2,295

When you look at the little silver box sitting there, just 5.6 in. by 7 in. and under 2 in. high, it's hard to believe that this is a serious tool, because it makes every other projector on the market look gargantuan in comparison. And to round out the package, the V-807 comes in a compact carrying case that accommodates the projector and its cables.
As with the majority of new projectors, the Plus Vision V-807 is built around Texas Instruments Inc.'s digital light-processing chip, in this case in an SVGA resolution (800 by 600 pixels). It uses a compact, high-intensity lamp for a brightness rating of 800 lumens - on the low side, but certainly acceptable for many, if not most, uses.
On the downside, the lens has no zoom capabilities, so the only way to adjust the projected image size is by moving the device closer to or farther from the screen. This projector is at its best in a relatively small room, but keep in mind that the V-807 has to be at least four feet away from the screen or wall. Get closer than that, and you lose focus.


	Presenter-to-Go Margi Systems Inc. $199

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