Editor's Choice Projector
Casio Super Slim XJ-S35 Compact Projector
Reviewed by Terrance Kibiloski
Not since Scotty beamed up Captain Kirk have we been more impressed with technology. The more we tested Casio's Super Slim XJ-S35 compact projector the more excited and amazed we became. The XJ-S35 seems much too small to deliver such super performance.
We have used and tested many projectors in the past and never found a single one that we felt was a true editor's choice. While many performed rather well for their bulky size, excessive heat, and intolerable noise, none left us with that Wow! feeling. Casio's Super Slim XJ-S35 begins with a Wow! and then continues to amaze with every feature. Imagine a 30-pound toddler lifting a 500-pound barbell, or a pocket flashlight illuminating an acre field, and you will have an idea of how we felt as we put the XJ-S35 through some very rigorous tests that every projector we tested to date could not pass.
During Editor's Choice reviews and testing at Computer Times we are very tough on performance, demanding excellence in all areas before we even consider a product for our coveted Editor's Choice award. We set our standards and expectations extremely high. Casio's Super Slim XJ-S35 compact projector not only met every one of our high standards and expectations we demand from a projector, it exceeded every one of them.
Casio's Super Slim XJ-S35 compact projector is extremely small and light and easily fits inside a briefcase with a laptop computer. It generates relatively little heat compared to all other products in its class. It is so quiet that you can have whispering conversations in its presence. The projection is so bright that you can pretty much ignore the room lighting and display whatever you choose whenever you choose on virtually any size screen or projection surface. It can be positioned extremely close or rather far away from the projection surface, accommodating virtually any size office, meeting, or home space. It is extremely easy to use with intuitive and well-labeled controls on both the unit and the credit card sized remote control. It allows you to make presentations directly from a USB memory stick, allowing you to leave your computer at home or at the office when you take your presentations on the road. Finally, it is fairly priced in a range that is affordable for any business and for many technology-minded homes. This is the first projector ever to meet all of the above standards that we felt a projector should have in order to be selected as a Computer Times Editor's Choice. In fact, the XJ-S35 exceeded our expectations, turning us from skeptics (which we were when we read the initial press release) into enthusiastic promoters of this incredible device. Hats off to everyone involved in its conception, design, engineering and manufacturing. Now let's look at the XJ-S35 in closer detail as it applies to each of the above standards.
Small, light, fits inside a briefcase with a laptop computer
A picture is worth a thousand words. The photo above shows the size of the XJ-S35 in relationship to a typical Dell laptop. Notice it is about half the size of the laptop. The photo below shows the XJ-S35 next to a standard stenographer's tablet with a ball point pen on top of the unit to show its extremely small size as compared to other projectors on the market. The actual size is a minuscule 10.6"(W) x 1.7"(H) x 7.83"(D), weighing in at just under 4 pounds.
Generates relatively little heat and is quiet enough to allow whispering conversations near the unit
The highly efficient high torque fan is extremely quiet compared to its competitors. Casio uses original technology to keep the projector cool. This patent pending process uses a high static pressure Sirocco fan - with heat dispersed and radiated out by means of a heat pipe system - that cools the overall system for longer life and reliability. The body of the projector is actually divided into two sections with the fan located between the two, and a heat pipe in the exhaust section, a first for a projector, to disperse heat and provide efficient cooling in a small space. Brilliant engineering!
Projection bright enough for virtually any room lighting
The Casio XJ-S35 projects a remarkable brightness of 2000 ANSI lumens, so you can make presentations under virtually any lighting conditions. Casio combined a preparatory condenser lens with its unique miniature light source lamp to deliver an extremely high-brightness image. During our testing, we projected a 12 foot wide image directly under 100-watt incandescent bulbs and could easily read the PowerPoint text and view the projected images.
Accommodates virtually any size projection space, including very close and distant locations to work in virtually any size office, meeting, or home space.
The Casio Super Slim projector's wide angle (20-40mm) 2X optical zoom lens (shown above) achieves the highest magnification of any data projector in its class. It allows you to project from distances as short as 42 inches and enjoy large screen projection in small meeting rooms or, using the telephoto, keep the picture on the screen even when you are back in the room. Casio's engineers brilliantly downsized the effective diameter of the lens, by re-examining the structure to improve distortion prevention efficiency. The projection lens utilizes a lead screw system that reduces the diameter of the front cell and improves the telecentric ratio.
The illustration above left shows how the lens can easily adjust the picture to fill the space of the screen when the projector is positioned close up or far away. The illustration above right is a screen shot of an interactive window at the Casio Web site that allows you to see how the distance from the screen will affect the zoom level. Another interactive window at the Web site (shown below) lets you calculate the distance to place the projector when setting up for a particular screen size, or vice versa. Just another first class touch for marketing this first class projector.
Easy-to-use, intuitive, well-labeled controls on both the unit and a credit-card sized remote control
Shown above are the major components of the projector system as found in the shipping box (not shown is the included CD that contains software for wireless connection and PC-free displays). The projector and cords are sitting on high-quality carrying cases that should last for years. The projector is shown with the lens cap flipped down. The three cords include one for computer connection (to display anything that can be shown on a computer screen), one for video connection (to show DVD movies or any other type of video output), and the power cord. Notice the blue and white label that is provided for you to stick directly on the unit. These are easy to understand instructions for those who are more comfortable reading step by step how to power on, power off, and operate the unit. For the majority of users, the well-marked controls on both the unit itself and on the credit-card sized remote will be all that you need.
Computer-free presentations
One of the best features of Casio's Super Slim XJ-S35 compact projector is its ability to be used in presentations without the need for a laptop computer. Instead of lugging your laptop with you or hoping that the computer at your destination will be compatible, you simply save your presentation to a USB memory device (using the included software) and project directly from the projector. We found this to be an incredibly easy thing to do. The software that you load on your PC provides a window where you simply drag and drop your PowerPoint presentation or even individual JPG files. When you have everything you need, you simply click on one button to have it convert your files into a single file for the projector. With this file on your USB device, you simply plug it into the projector (as shown above), power up the projector, and it will automatically show your latest presentation file in a visual index of all files available to project. You can have multiple PowerPoint presentations and/or photo presentations on the same USB device. How is that for simplicity on the road?
When you select the file you wish to project, a display will present all of the slides or photos on the file (as shown at top left). Selecting the one you wish to display first, you can then begin your show. Notice the brightness and clarity of an actual photo presentation that was done during our Editor's Choice testing. The lighting was both natural from skylights and a wall of windows, and artificial from incandescent interior lights. The true XGA display provides excellent images. This projector employs DLP® projection technology for true XGA (1024 x 768) display and SXGA (1280 x 1024) compressed display.
Fairly priced for even small businesses and technology-minded homes
Casio's Super Slim XJ-S35 compact projector is priced at $1699, providing features normally only found in units twice this price or more.
Additional features that exceeded our stringent standards
If you are looking for a projector for office, home, or on the road presentations, Casio's Super Slim XJ-S35 compact projector is the best there is on the market today and has earned our coveted Editor's Choice award with flying colors. It passed every one of our rigorous tests with ease. For more detailed technical specifications about this projector, go to www.superslimprojector.com
If you have no need for the ability to have PC-free or wireless presentations, you may want to check out the XJ-S35's little brother, the XJ-S30, by clicking on the link below.
Casio Super Slim XJ-S30 XGA Projector