OPTOMA PI500

Optoma is best known as a manufacturer of a wide range of DLP projectors. However, with the release of the Pi500 (£999 inc. VAT), the company is moving into a new area, namely the display market. On first appearances the screen looks like a compact TFT monitor, but with its touchscreen display it means that a user can interact with it directly.

Coming from a projector manufacturer, it’s logical to see how the Pi500 has developed, because it means those giving a presentation can hook the device up to a data projector, or equally a whiteboard. This means that you do not need to turn your back on an audience during a meeting to make a point or highlight a note.

The device itself consists of a 15-inch touchscreen and has a native resolution of 1024 x 768 pixels, the same as found on most mainstream data projectors. The quality of the display is impressive and because it uses the same digitised technology as a Tablet PC, it’s durable as well as tough. With a 15-pin D-sub adapter that allows you to connect it to your data projector or whiteboard, and a USB connection for linking to your laptop, adding ‘virtual’ ink notes is simple.

Drivers need to be installed for the USB connection to be recognised, along with the two applications that form the basis of the system: Power Presenter and Office Ink. The former, as its name suggests, allows you to create and run slide presentations from the monitor, while the latter gives you the ability to draw on the screen and annotate documents.

The hard decision with the Pi500 is whether there is actually a case for using one in an office environment. The asking price is a little too expensive for the casual user and, while there are benefits to using this as an aid, it lacks the power to readily add a punch to a presentation. Where the Pi500 is more likely to find a home is in the education sector where eye contact is paramount.

RATING: 6

PRICE: £850/£999 (EX/INC. VAT)
CONNECTIONS: VGA CONNECTOR, USB, AUDIO-IN, AUDIO-OUT
DIMENSIONS: 345 X 295 X 220MM
WEIGHT: 3.7KG
CONTACT: 0208 813 6688 WWW.OPTOMAEUROPE.COM