Acer C110 Pico Projector review

Joining companies, families and superskinny models, personal tech too seems to be following the downsizing and belt-tightening trend. All our regular consumer gadgets – phones, laptops, cameras and tablets – are becoming smaller, thinner and most importantly, more efficient. The projector market too has seen a fair bit of flab being trimmed from their top performers, and today you can get a Full HD projector that comes in a zippable carry bag and weighs less than 2 kgs.

It's also no wonder that projectors themselves are adapting to the prevalent anorexia, and Pico, or handheld projectors are becoming the latest tool of choice for people on the move. Acer recently launched the C110 Pico Projector in the Indian market, which is aimed at making the boardroom portable.

It's actually quite surprising how small the C110 is. It weighs just 175 grams, and with dimensions of 4.3x3.3 and a thickness of just under an inch, this could probably fit into your laptop bag, with a bit of a squeeze. The small black unit has a plastic exterior but despite being light doesn't feel too flimsy. While the top panel has a shiny finish, the edges are ribbed with a grille design. The controls are minimalist too, with just a single USB port at the rear and a focussing wheel on the side.

Unlike some of the other pico projectors available, like the BenQ Joybee projector, the C110 does not require an external power source – it both connects and charges through the USB cable. Also unlike some other pico projectors, the C110 has an LED lamp, which means longer lamplife – estimated at 20,000 hours - and less power consumption. These are both great positives if you're going to use the projector with a laptop running on battery power. The projector can also connect up to an Android tablet with a USB port, which makes its portability a lot more appealing.

Connecting the C110 was easy as pie. I plugged it into a Windows 7 laptop, and I was immediately prompted to run the built-in software. Once that was installed, I was given options to choose my preferred resolution, and I was set to go. The USB cable that comes with the C110 has dual-USBs at one end, and if you plug both into your computer you get a brighter display. Unfortunately the projector does not support Apple devices, so you won't be able to connect your Mac to it.

The projector comes with a handy optional foldable screen, which you'll have to buy separately. It opens up to a 25-inch wrinkle-free display and doesn't require a stand, which is great for small group presentations. Acer claims that using the screen also increases image brightness by 200 per cent and contrast by 300 per cent. The C110 has a contrast ratio of 1000:1, and brightness of 50 lumens but using the screen can pump it up to 100 lumens. I played back some videos on the screen and off a wall, and the results were significantly different. The colours on the screen were visibly richer and there was more saturation and detail. On a wall, the projector offers a maximum screen size of 60-inches. At that size, I didn't notice any visible fringing on the edges.

Although the C110 is primarily for business needs, it could potentially work as an entertainment device to watch a movie or videos with a few friends. The projector's maximum resolution is 1280x800 and is not bad for a movie night. A few of the videos I had streamed were fine on the sharpness and colour, but there was quite a bit of shake between fast moving frames. When I cranked the screen size all the way up to maximum, this shake was even more magnified, and can be quite disrupting if you're watching an action scene.

While I wouldn't recommend it for home users, the C110 is a really handy little device to carry around with you, if you travel frequently and you have a lot of group meetings. The fact that it doesn't require a power source and that the foldable screen can fit into your laptop bag can make it a useful addition to your briefcase.