Thursday, August 26, 2010

Dell's S300WI Interactive Projector

Dell S300WIThe new S300WI projector from Dell is an ultra-portable, short-throw DLP wireless projector that comes equipped with an interactive pen and 3D capabilities. Aside from the interactive pen and the 3D capabilities, the S300WI is virtually identical to the existing S300W model.

The projector is powered by the S450 DarkChip3 DLP chip from Texas Instruments and is promoted as an alternative to a fixed whiteboard. With the S300WI, any surface can potentially be turned into an interactive surface for classroom projects, demonstrations or business meetings.

The S300WI weighs slightly more than 3kg and measures 30.6cm wide by 9.9cm tall and 24.6cm deep making it very portable. It comes with a remote control with integrated laser pointer, VGA and USB video cables and a 6m-long mini-USB cable to be used with the interactive pen.

You can mount the projector on either a ceiling or a wall or you can just set it on a solid surface. It can run as either front or rear projection and video input is via two VGA ports, HDMI, composite or S-Video connections. It can support up to 1080p HD with a native resolution of 1,280 by 800.

A USB display driver is stored in the projector which makes for a quick and easy connection using the supplied cable. An app for viewing JPEG photos on a USB memory stick is included along with a bundled converter which transforms PowerPoint files into a suitable format.

You can use a wireless or wired (802.11 b/g) network connection to connect as many as 30 PCs, each using a small app downloaded directly from the browser-based management interface. There is also support for four-way split-screen conference calls when using a network connection.

The 3D-Ready feature allows multiple users to watch projected 3D content provided they each have a suitable graphics card, 3D content and DLP Link active 3D glasses. The interactive pen is a bit large and requires two AA batteries boasting a 50 hour lifespan.

There are two mouse buttons on the top of the pen and a third button that can be assigned various functions. Some reviews have stated that the pen feels difficult to grip and use as the buttons are in awkward locations.

Once you get everything up and running it all seems to work quite well. The fan is quiet and the on-screen menus are logically arranged. The 0.52 throw ratio gives off a minimum focus distance of 0.5m which delivers an impressive 96cm by 60cm display which rapidly increases to a maximum of 633cm by 396cm at 3.3m. This makes the S300Wi perfect for use in classrooms, meeting rooms or any other confined space.

If you are in the market for a high quality, ultra-portable short-throw wireless DLP projector that can also do interactive writing and 3D, then you should definitely look into the S300WI. It is available now for around $400.

Looking for an Affordable LCD Projector Rental then call 800-736-8772 today. Ask about the newest type of projector whose appeal is "all in the mirrors" and see if a DLP Projector Rental is right for you.

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