52 Issue 1404
iThe Acer C120 uses acouple of USB
ports on the laptop or PC, so make sure
you have enough freegIt’s areasonably good projector,
despite the USB problemT
he Acer C120 is another
ultra-portable projector
that’s ideally aimed at
the business user on the
go. The fact that you're quite
able to whip one of these out
alongside your laptop and get it
up and running in a matter of
minutes is a great selling point,
but there are some significant
setbacks along the way.
It’s quite small, measuring
just 120 x 82 x 26mm and
weighing only 300g. The
projected image has an 854 x
480 resolution at around six
feet from a wall, with a 50"
image. Although it's advertised
as being able to produce a
resolution of 1280 x 800, we
never managed to get it up that
far for somereason.
At 100 lumens, it’s not too
bad for a portable projector. The
noise levels aren’t too bad
either, even when the fan speed
is increased.
The minimalists among you
will certainly appreciate this
projector. The left side of the unit
has a small focusing wheel,
while the right-hand side has the
ports for USB and power. The
lack of an on/off button, menu
button or anything else is actually
quite off-putting to some degree,
as you always feel like you’re
about to break the unit when
plugging it all in and having it
lurch into use. Likewise, you just
unplug the unit when you’re
done, which again goes against
everything you’ve ever learned
regarding proper projector power-
down procedures.everythingreally close together
(power, computer and
projector), which isn’t always an
ideal option.
The Acer C120 will no doubt
suit someone who needs the
unit close to their laptop or PC.
While portable, it’s not always
very functional, due to the cable
length limits and the use of a
pair of USB ports on the
computer side.
But the image is good
enough for most users,
classrooms and so on.DETAILS
- Price: £185
- Manufacturer: Acer
- Website:
goo.gl/K1Lj9Q - Requirements:Two
spare USB ports on the
laptop/PC
Acer C120
Portable Projectors
In terms of the design, it’s
generally okay, but nothing too
astounding. The top is a glossy
black and quite flimsy plastic
that’s a magnet for fluff,
fingerprints and cat hairs. The
sides have a series of ridges
running down, which break up
the heat output vents, and the
bottom of the unit is a matte-
black affair with a set of sturdy
rubberised feet to stop it from
sliding off the table, and there's
an absolutely useless, tiny
kickstand. Functional yes, but
hardly a design innovation.
Connecting the projector is a
little different from the norm.
There aren’t any video ports toplug anything into, just a simple
USB 3.0 arrangement. The
C120 comes with a USB
Y-shaped cable which is
required to plug into two USB
ports on your PC or laptop.
From this, both the video and
power are fed via your
computer, which is a bit of a
pain as you’ve already lost a
couple of USB ports in just the
setting up. Owners of
Chromebooks or ultra-slim
laptops, be advised.
You do get an external power
supply as standard, though, but
the way in which the cable
arrangement is dealt with
means you need to have7
7
Quality
Value
77
Overall