3M MPro111 pocket projector

3M MPro111 pocket projector not a miniature marvel.

Small is the new large in the world of projectors as cutting-edge technology makes it possible to fit the necessary bright light source and optics into a little box you can pop in your pocket.

The 3M MPro110 is one of several micro models that have appeared recently, and some believe this type of miniaturised technology will, in due course, routinely be built into mobile phones and other devices.

The MPro looks neat, with a silver and black body and rounded corners. It is 115mm long by 50mm wide by 22mm deep and weighs just 152g, so it is truly portable. And it's easy to hook it up to a video source such as a laptop, digital camera or mobile phone, though you might need to buy special cables for some devices. Then you switch it on – and that's when the trouble starts.

I tested the MPro with a variety of video sources and the results were uniformly disappointing. A slideshow of photographs of the desert landscape around Liwa looked washed out and colourless on the screen, the vivid reds and oranges of the sand appearing as pale, uninteresting browns. And while it was possible to improve the images using the projector's focus wheel, I could never make them as truly pin-sharp and clear as they should be.

Then I tested it with another next-generation portable device – the Creative Vado HD pocket video camera, which produces pretty good results considering its tiny size. But yet again the image from the projector was poor, with a lack of clarity and faded colours. It was the same story when I used a Canon digital camera and various other sources.

Text documents and PowerPoint slides were little better – it was difficult to read them even when the projector was placed just 150cm from the screen – comfortably within its supposed maximum operating range of 180cm.

The little 3M was at its most effective when displaying a commercial DVD, as the fast action, slick acting and high production values of a typical Hollywood production took my mind off the poor quality of the image. Another problem is that there is no facility for sound on the MPro, which rather limits its usefulness.

Of course it's early days for tiny projectors like this and no doubt their performance will improve as new and updated models appear.

3M describes the MPro as a "micro professional projector", suggesting it is intended for business use. However, it is difficult to believe any potential customer would be impressed by the results.

I suspect that pocket projectors are a couple of years of development away from being really useful. Perhaps the "Pro" in the MPro's name stands for prototype.

Price: Dh1,699

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