InFocus IN114
InFocus'es IN114 is a pretty entry level projector. I mean we're talking $399 or less. The IN114 is a very small and light projector, so it is a good possibility for schools where moving a projector from room to room, or school to school is in order. As are most of the smallest and least expensive projectors, this one is DLP, and uses a conventional lamp that is rated an excellent 5000/6000 hours (normal/eco). Audio is a two watt speaker, and in the classroom 5-10 watt audio is more in line with handling a classroom without extra sound.
It would be great if every school could afford advanced, thousand dollar plus interactive projectors, but that's just not the nature of things. At some point a school, or school district has to decide: Do I equip 20% of my classrooms with advanced feature projectors, or equip 80% of classrooms with basic projectors, (or some projectors in between) working from the same budget. Of course at a school or district level it may make sense to have a mix of projector capabilities.
The InFocus IN114 is about as affordable as projectors get, and it offers up a pretty good selection of basic features. Resolution is standard XGA (1024x768). As one of the least expensive XGA projectors on the market, also the one of the most portable projectors considered in this report, don't expect features like networking.