Have you ever arranged a sales presentation with a prospect of one only to have four people show up to the meeting? Did you have to huddle around your laptop? Probably not ideal, but there are a variety of solutions. A relatively new entrant is the Kickstand Micro Projector from BEM Wireless. This tiny, handheld portable projector is elegant and compact.
Kickstand Micro Projector
Okay, micro projectors like this come with a lot of technical jargon (which I list a bit of below). But, let me keep it simple for now – if you need a small, travel-warrior-ready projector to show presentations to your prospects and customers, this baby is it. You can connect with a USB or HDMI cable (HDMI included). The BEM Wireless Kickstand Micro Projector is affordable at $499 when compared to similar quality projectors.
As you can see in the photo above, the Kickstand folds out from a slender, closed position. The silver leg folds in, and the projector itself swivels into that frame. The opening at the top is your carrying handle, but it comes with a durable carrying case to protect it.
You can place this projector just about anywhere that has a flat surface. Keep it close to a wall for a small one to two foot screen or move it as far as ten feet away for a 96 inch display (8 feet).
The display resolution from the full ten foot distance is terrific at 720p. Of course, it may serve for more than business purposes with an auxiliary Audio Out jack – for a portable home theater or playing games on a big screen. I had fun with the evaluation unit the company loaned to me.
What I Really Like:
- You could walk into an office with a USB stick, plug it in, and start your presentation.
- Remote control that lets you adjust what is called the keystone – when the top or bottom of the image is narrower on one end – looks trapezoid-ish.
- You can move the Kickstand so you can project images on the ceiling, too.
- Utilizes WXGA 1280 X 800 for higher widescreen resolution (720p) – and is powered by LEDs versus standard bulbs.
- 400 Lumens.
What I’d Like to See:
- Clarity on the name – I thought the projector operated on a wireless frequency. It does not. The company got its start in wireless speakers and thus the company name creates a little bit of confusion. However, small point – the projector still works great and when I think about it – trying to run big files via wireless would be pretty tough.
- More details and troubleshooting help on the website. Although LED lighting lasts a long time, it would be good to know how to replace the LED, if needed. BEM estimates the bulb will last 20,000 hours, however, unless you bang it around. It should last through lots of presentations and movies.
You can get far more powerful portable projectors with 1,000+ Lumens, but you’ll be carrying an extra bag. Likewise, you can find some smaller handheld projectors, but most don’t offer more than 100 Lumens. So, like all technology, there are tradeoffs.
You can read more about the Kickstand projector on the BEM Wireless site. For the road warrior or person giving lots of presentations, this is a lightweight, affordable projector that is worth checking out.
