Bargains up for grabs

Ultrabooks, portable hard drives, GPS, security solutions and digital media players were among the sought-after products over the three-day event, which concluded on Sunday.

The popularity of Android was evident, as a large number of exhibitors showcased tablets running on the operating system at bargain prices. One could even get a seven-inch Android tablet for as low as RM300!

With the lesser known brands coming out in full force, bigger players like Samsung had different approaches to attract buyers.

The South Korean company, for example, employed local cartoonists to showcase how devices like Galaxy Note that can be used to replace paper when drawing comic characters.

Visitors got their faces drawn by cartoonist Padi, who draws for the Ujang comic.

Apart from computing solutions, there was a variety of sales promotions on anti-virus and storage devices, GPS and telecommunications services.

In the security solution department, new players like Avast drove down prices of anti-virus programs to as low as RM29.90, while storage products like portable hard drives saw price per megabyte of storage at an all-time low. For example, a 1TB portable storage cost RM299, a reduction of RM20 to RM50 from the last fair.

This year’s KL PC Fair was a smaller affair, in terms of exhibition floor size. It took up only the ground floor halls compared to two levels on previous occasions.

There was also a lucky draw, with a trip to the Seven Wonders Of The World for two as grand prize, and a host of other prizes like iPads, notebooks, digital cameras, GPS and thumbdrives.

A PROJECTOR that you can carry around — that’s what 3M Company is offering with its Mobile Projector MP220. Measuring 6.2x1.3x3.2 inches and weighing  413g, the projector is capable of generating 11-75 inches diagonal image projection at brightness level of 65 lumens. It also comes with rechargable battery and storage options to allow stand-alone projection on the go.

Running on Android operating system, the MP220 is designed to deliver WSVGA resolution using its LED light source as well as audio with its dual 0.75W speakers. With a VGA/Av port onboard, the unit is compatible with digital cameras, DVD players, camcorders, Sony PlayStation, Nintendo Wii and Microsoft Xbox. The MP220 is also great for home use.

Users can pair the projector with a regular camera mini tripod for better positioning of the device against a wall or screen.

The little projector comes with 2GB of storage expandable via microSD slot to store photo, video, audio as well as work documents. The files stored onboard the projector can be displayed immediately without the need to hook up the unit to a PC. Aimed at business users and road warriors, the projector’s interface also allows users to do edit PowerPoint slides or Excel documents, among others. Besides the PC, the projector is also connectible to iPhone or iPad using a separate accessory, the 3M Adapter Cable for Apple.

Other accessories include 3M Portable Screen, 3M Remote Control for MP220, 3M VGA Cable and 3M RCA Cable. Retailing at RM2,099 and available through 3M authorised distributor, Dantronics, the projector’s standard pack includes a rechargable lithium ion batter, power supply/charger cable, USB cable and quick start guide.