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GCN Home > 03/03/08 issue

Dell M209X ultraportable projector

GCN Lab Reviewer's Choice selection

By John Breeden II

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The Dell M209X is a tiny projector that can hang tough with the big boys. It weighs just 2 pounds, 6 ounces, which made us wonder if it could squeak out enough raw light power to display an image even in a dim room.

But you’d better bring your sunglasses.

At 10 feet, the M209X was able to render a 1,220-lumen image in the center of the projection area, making it suitable for almost any lighting environment short of direct sunlight.

At the corners of the screen, the image was 1,100 lumens, a difference of 120 lumens.

It’s theoretically possible for the naked eye to spot that level of difference, but it would be difficult — you would really have to be searching for it.

On color accuracy, the M209X was great with reds, greens and blues, and it produced a crisp white. It was even able to eliminate moiré effects when using the analog port — an impressive feat.

When you shift up to the HDMI, images and video look even better.

The unit displayed text well down to an average of 7.5 points and — other than very light colors on a light background — rendered images in fine detail and accurate color.

The remote control of the M209X has an interesting and functional design, featuring futuristic, flat buttons that match the controls on the main unit. And there are other useful features, such as a laser pointer and page-up and page-down buttons for pushing though Microsoft PowerPoint slide shows.

There is nothing bad about the M209X. It offers excellent performance in all areas and slips easily into its own travel bag or almost any free compartment on a standard laptop case.

But the best feature is that — at $999 with state and federal employees eligible for a 30 percent discount — it does not slip much green out of your wallet.

Dell, (800) 999-3355, www.dell.com/projectors

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