December 11, 2008

Dell M109S Versus Optoma Pico PK-101: A Pico Projector Standoff

The Wall Street Journal has decided to see what all the fuss over pico projectors is about by comparing Dell's M109S and Optoma's Pico PK-101. The term 'pico' not only denotes the small size of these projectors, but also the Texas Instruments chip they use, dubbed pico. While they're definitely much more portable than typical projectors, the projected image quality is the obvious sacrifice.

The 15-ounce Dell M109S only spits out 50 lumens of brightness, while the flyweight 4-ounce Optoma Pico PK-101 only manages 11 lumens. There are two ways to compensate: either darken the room or place the projector very close to the wall or screen you're using. However the Optoma device is marketed as a tool to project media from iPod's and other such devices, so it's meant for on-the-go use. Dell, on the other hand, says the M109S is a netbook/laptop companion that works well for quick work presentations.

As the review turned out, the Dell M109S is a higher quality product. That said, you'll also pay $449 for it, $50 higher than the Optoma's $399 price tag.

Via WSJ