Dell 3100MP Micro-portable Projector
Reviewed by:
Navdeep Singh
University Webmaster

Dell’s first projector is sleek, light-weight and ultra-portable. The recent launch of Dell’s 3100MP micro portable projector marks a significant trend in the digital presentation market. DV projectors have made giant leaps in performance and cost. They have better color depth, brightness, and resolution.

Gone are the days when you had to carry a 20 pound device for your presentation. Model 3100MP, at 3.5-pound and 2.2” fits nicely in a small bag and makes a great presentation system especially when accompanied with a sleek notebook like Dell's X200 Ultra-light. The projector has sturdy magnesium casing (stronger and lighter than plastic) that reduces weight and risk of damage.

The $2,499 projector features Digital Light Processing technology and native XGA (1024 x 768) resolution with auto sync to UXGA (1600 x 1200) for sharp, clear images. The projector’s auto synchronization feature produces accurate image sizing, positioning and timing from analog signals without manual tweaking. Its grey-scale response is excellent and color depth good. There is a zoom lens and keystone correction that helps you get perfect picture. It supports NTSC, PAL, SECAM and HDTV. The 1,050 ANSI lumens give bright and vivid images. The video signals are handled very well but the build-in speaker does not do justice to a DVD movie. Ceiling mount kit and replacement lamps are available separately from Dell.

The top of the projector hosts seven buttons plus temperature and lamp warning lights. From this array of controls you can power the unit, alter the volume from the 2-watt single speaker, select a video source, trigger the mute and open the multilingual on-screen-display.

Dell 3100MP works with most notebooks PCs without effort since it has Plug and Play capability. The project is very quiet in operation that is something everyone will, no doubt, like. The package also includes all you need to get the projector up and running: infrared remote control with laser pointer (including batteries); DVI-I to 15-pin VGA cable; S-Video cable; RCA audio/composite video cable; power cord and remote mouse cable. The 1.2:1 zoom lens and digital keystone correction controls provide positional flexibility. The 6 steps to normal operation featured in Quick Set Up guide for first-time users gets you up and running in no time. Another thing that stood out was the custom made case. The projector fits very nicely and protects against minor shocks.

Dell 3100MP comes with a 2 year limited warranty and Advanced Exchange. Up to 3 year limited warranty is also available for an additional charge. This system is for people who are short on time. If all you want is a presentation system, add Dell’s X200 ultra-light notebook to 3100MP Projector. It is a perfect choice for faculty who want make great presentations.
 

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