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7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Excellent first generation pico projector, April 21, 2009
This review is from: Atlantis APSE-10A Ultra-Mobile Multi-Application Mini Projec
I've got an Adtec AD-MP15A pico projector (identical to this model) I picked up at Yodobashi in Japan a month ago for about US$380 and love it.
I use it primarily for business. I work in sales (not for projectors :-) and travel much of Latin America to meet with customers and prospects. Sometimes, the customer will not be able to get a projector for the meeting. And in cases where we are early in the sales stage, I may end up presenting in a cube/office or even in the corner of the local version of a Starbuck's. Because I travel a lot, I use a smaller, executive laptop and it's not very effective to get everyone huddled around the laptop because the display is too small for everyone to read at a distance. And it's not feasible to carry around a normal size projector. With this projector, I can get a decent quality 30" or better image on the wall, given dimmed lighting (doesn't need to be dark). And at a little bigger and a little heavier than a deck of cards, I can stash it in my laptop bag.
Mine has a native resolution of 640x480 but accepts 800x600 and converts it - so I set my laptop to output at 800x600. The conversion quality is impressive - that native resolution may be 640x480, but it looks just like 800x600. Powerpoint presentations read fine and all text is readable - I had no slides where anything could not be read. Same for Excel. Very small text (e.g., font size 8) won't be readable, but most folks wouldn't be able to read it from a normal viewing distance on a bigger, higher resolution projector anyway. The projector comes with both VGA and composite video cables.
The colors look a little washed out, especially at a distance and in less darkened conditions. (I played around a little with contrast and brightness in Vista and maybe there are some things that could be done) But some older big projectors don't do much better with colors. And with a lot of normal size projectors, you need to close the blinds and turn off a few lights anyway.
In the dark, the projector's output is impressive at short range and can project a decent image up to 80 inches. A fun side benefit is we can watch TV shows/movies on the ceiling with this projector. After a few minutes, our eyes adjust and don't notice any limitations. (although, side by side with a monitor, the monitor's colors and resolution are much better) This is also fun for impromptu slideshows from our camera with the camera's AV cable connected to the composite video cable and projected on a darkened wall.
The projector uses NB-5L Canon camera batteries, so extra batteries are relatively easy to find and purchase. I generally get about 30 minutes from the battery, but I have a second battery that I use if I need more time, or I plug it in. I have a Toshiba USB-powered laptop fan that has a power connector that fits the projector so I use this cable to charge the projector from a USB source. The projector pulls 3A at 5V, which is more than the 500ma most USB ports deliver, so you may not be able to operate it for long plugged into a laptop. I found that my APC universal laptop battery USB port does generate enough current and will operate the projector for at least an hour and a half.
An unexpected side benefit with this projector is that when the monitor on my previous laptop burned out while on a trip, I was able to get by using the projector as my monitor.
Before buying a pico projector, I strongly suggest checking one out connected to your own laptop, projecting your own presentations to see if the quality works for you. I tested several models (including the Optoma and 3M) and found them unacceptable before purchasing this one.
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5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
First Generation Pico Projector [Done Right], May 20, 2009
This review is from: Atlantis APSE-10A Ultra-Mobile Multi-Application Mini Projec
The above reviewer did mention that the pico projector features is identical to the Adtec AD-MP15A -- and while both projectors do have minor differences in the tech specs, the experience overall confirms his own impression of the Adtec device.
While the Atlantis APSE-10A is not going to outperform any normal-sized projector in terms of brightness and picture quality, the value of its durability, adaptability and ultra-portability more than makes up for its shortfalls as a 1st-generation pico projector.
Especially as a Linux netbook user with a keen eye on portable accessories, it never ceases to amaze me that I have access to a projector 24/7, either to watch videos on 50" screens or perform ad-hoc presentations. The colors are a little washed out, but this is forgiven by the unit's size and cost, and ability to project a large and clear image nonetheless. Especially in dark rooms, it's near impossible to tell the image on the wall comes from a whisper-quiet, cool-to-the-touch device the size of a deck of cards.
The battery also enhances the portability of this device -- coupled with the fact that it can also be powered by a standard USB power connector (not included, but common in many other USB-powered devices) and you can operate both your laptop and projector continuously anywhere between 1.5 to 2 hours without using a single AC cable. I also enjoy the fact that the unit comes with its own thin VGA-adapter that is wire-thin compared to standard VGA cables. Anyone needing to hook this up to a DVD/VCR can make use of the included AV cable projector.
Other minor details that impressed me considerably were the inclusion of a miniature metal tripod for the projector, a cloth sack to store the projector when not in use (to prevent scratches), and the overall packaging of the device. And like most projectors, it is OS-agnostic -- so as long as your operating system can output to either 640x480 or 800x600, you can enjoy this too regardless of whether you use Mac, Linux, BSD, Solaris, Windows, etc.
Overall, I am more than impressed with this device -- and while I feel inclined to inform others about its many virtues, I usually only need to turn it on for a few seconds to get the message across.
If this is what a first-generation pico projector [done right] can do, then I am optimistic about the future of portable video projectors!
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5.0 out of 5 stars
Excellent Product, February 10, 2010
This review is from: Atlantis APSE-10A Ultra-Mobile Multi-Application Mini Projec
Initially I had a lemon that did not work properly...I returned it to amazon who promptly replaced it and the new one works perfectly. It is fantastic for small meetings at work and also for movie night at home with the family...simply a fantastic product!
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