I received my ShowWx Laser Pico Projector from Device Plus in Madrid, Spain about a month ago. I had to get it there because it was not for sale yet in the U.S. It is an absolutely mind-blowing projector that easily hooks up to a myriad of devices, including iPods, iPhones, digital cameras (with video out function), and laptops (with the optional VGA Dock). It is very small and lightweight - truly pocket-sized - and can project video and pictures with stunning clarity and color.
Because it is a laser device, there is never any need to focus the display. You can project on uneven surfaces, around corners, on ceilings or clothing or a sandy beach at night. The size of the image depends upon the distance between the projector and the surface it is projecting on - in a demo I did on YouTube, I projected onto a white wall in a dark room from a distance of 8 feet, and the diagonal size of the projection was 8 feet - in other words, the equivalent of a 96-inch screen! Even at 8 feet, the picture was still amazing (if you'd like to see, just go to YouTube and search on "ShowWxDemoMar2010.wmv." - I think your jaw will drop!
The battery life on the ShowWx is advertised to be about an hour and 40 minutes, give or take. I haven't tested it but others have and, dependent on what's being displayed and the brightness setting, they have found it to be between 105 and 110 minutes. The ShowWx comes with a USB as well as a wall charger, plus all the cables for hooking up to various devices. You will have to purchase a VGA Dock if you want to project with a laptop, and that costs around $50.
While road warriors and lecturers will find the ShowWx to come in very handy for presentations, I think the best thing about the ShowWx is its WOW Factor. It comes out of your pocket and throws a vivid, bright, always in-focus image on any available surface. Of course it works best in a totally dark room, particularly when going large with the image, and it's best on a white surface, but even in higher lighting, you can still get an amazing picture as you draw nearer to the projection surface. I have blown some people's minds projecting a music video on an 8x11 sheet of paper in a brightly lit environment. I think teens and young people will flock to this technology - at least, well-to-do young people, since it is pricey at $549. But the ShowWx puts many other projectors to shame, and you can slip it in your pocket.
It is not a perfect product, seeing as there is a slight "bowtie" effect where the edges of the projection bow ever-so-slightly in on the four sides. There is also an occasional line of light that displays below the image - I've been told is some sort of calibration effect, but I've only seen it once or twice, it's not very bright and, given the brilliant display, it is hardly noticeable. Other discussions of the ShowWx by the few who actually HAVE one differ on whether this calibration line is there at all - some say they've seen it, others say they haven't. I say it's not a big deal at all.
But the image put out by this projector is stunning - it's not HD, but it is WVGA (848 x 480). It won't replace your high-def t.v., but it is absolutely the coolest thing you can pull out of your pocket. You can watch movies on your ceiling, show pictures of your family on a restaurant wall, or give a presentation in an elevator or on a plane. It doesn't have any speakers - you can plug in with ear buds for your own entertainment or hook it up to a sound dock if many people are watching. I have to say, it is a really mind-boggling product and you simply won't believe that something this small can produce images this big, clear and bright. I highly recommend it.
