Portable Laptop Computer Projectors

Using portable projectors for your presentations with your bullet points written large on the wall for all to see is far more effective than using a notebook. The trick is to find a portable projector that's powerful enough to be useful, but small enough to cart with you. Five pounds is the maximum weight if you want to avoid using a wheeled case.

Brightness and Contrast

Brightness and contrast ratio are key features. You can't conduct meetings in the dark, so a projector must be bright enough to cast an image on a wall in a partially lit environment. Similarly, a bright unit can project a big image suitable for presenting to large groups. Contrast ratio improves readability in well-lit rooms and provides richer blacks when displaying video. If you look for a brightness of approximately 1500 lumens and a contrast ratio of about 700:1 or more, you won't be disappointed with your portable projectors performance.

Resolution and Zoom

Resolution and zoom controls are also important. A loe-end projector may have only an 800 x 600-pixel resolution. That's fine for PowerPoint presentations, but to present spreadsheets effectively you'll want 1,024 x 768 pixels. And zoom controls let you project a large image on a wall without having to put the projector across the room.

Input Connections

Another feature that deserves attention is the array of input connections your projector provides. Some projectors have only VGA or DVI inputs, or worse, a proprietary connector and a converter cable. The best projectors will have several different inputs for your computer, plus video inputs for displaying content from a TV, DVD, or VCR.

All projectors, portable and otherwise, have cooling fans, which can be loud and distracting. At work, the noise level should be just below irritating. But for home use, the quieter the better.