If you make small group presentations and do not need the brightness of a full-size projector, the Optoma PK320 is a new 100-lumen pico projector that should interest you. It is small, light, and full-featured with a street price of about $425. Its 854x480 native resolution works well for both widescreen movies and standard 4:3 presentation material. And if you store your images in the projector's internal memory or have them on a USB memory stick, you won't have to haul your computer along to display them. Unlike most of its competitors, the PK320 has a built-in Microsoft Office compatible viewer that handles Word and Excel files without file conversion.

The PK320 has a rechargeable battery that is specified to last for about 45 minutes in Standard mode and 90 minutes in Eco mode, but it can only put out 50 and 25 lumens, respectively. The AC adapter must be used for 100-lumen output. An optional larger battery extends projection times and can provide 100-lumen output for about two hours. Of course, at 100 lumens and lower, ambient light must be controlled for an acceptable image, but with small groups and an image in the 40" range, performance is very good for a half-pound projector.