Something thats quite common in this human world of ours is the popular adoption of relics as enjoyable items, things we can enjoy despite their superceding replacements. Projectors are a good example of this, as are things like cameras and clothes. All of these things despite being replaced by superior models many years past still capture a large audience of support and fans.

But will this love continue with the more modern technologies? will there be a following for pico projectors as we know them as vintage projectors when they are replaced? What’s likely to replace them – now thats an interesting question – in 10 years times will we still see small, tiny or even SMALLER pico projectors – perhaps embedded in even smaller things like rings or watchs, coins or pencils? It would be wonderful to have projector pens?..

Somehow I doubt many current projects in the realm of pico projectors will make it to vintage/antique status – none of them truely offer rounded enough quality to capture the audience – perhaps if a single device could truely capture what it is to be a tiny projector then they may just win over a big enough young audience for them to be valued long after its expected life.

Replacable parts perhaps play a part in this, more and more we buy products seen as disposable, we expect 20,000 hours of life from an LED bulbed pico projector and less perhaps from a laser pico projector – but that could only be a few busy years of bedroom projection. Once this bulb life is gone there is little to do but throw away the whole device – a truely horrible act of landfilling what could still be more than useful.

Lets hope the next few generations of pico’s bring forth a pico projector that will truly last to vintage status, the first cult followed microprojector – valued for its quality and bringing something truly lifechanging to a new audience.