Microvision's Pocket Projector Shines

We finally got a look at the SHOW, Microvisions almost-ready-for-prime-time laser projector. We certainly like the size—alittle bigger than an iPod in current form, and planned to be about iPod-sizedwhen other companies brand it and sell it around the end of the year. But the video quality left us a little disappointed. Color is fantastic, thanks to the lasers. (More impressive than the white LEDs Isuspect are in 3Ms projector.) But forthe same reason, the detail was a bit lacking, due to a phenomenon calledspeckle. When a laser hits a screen, some of the light bounces straight back,into the oncoming beam, causing interference. The effect made it look like the SHOW was projecting onto burlap instead of onto a smooth tablecloth, wall, orscreen. Although they promise the final versionwill look better.
The folks from Microvision say that 9 out of 10 people theyshowed it to didnt even notice the speckle. That seems hard to believe. Buteven with the speckles, the ability to shine big-screen images anywhere you gois awfully appealing.