HPR4427: Tale of Two (Wireless) Keyboards

Hi. My name is Moss Bliss, and this is Hacker Public Radio. This
is my 3rd HPR solo podcast, and you can also hear me on mintCast
and Full Circle Weekly News most weeks.




I watch TV via streaming on a Lenovo
ThinkCentre M700 Tiny. I change streams and services using a
wireless keyboard, from my recliner across the room. For a couple
years, I was using a Logitech
K400r, and it worked pretty well. Good keys, nice touchpad,
a couple of extra features. It was kind of flimsy though, with
lots of flex and keys popping off from time to time -- not so much
of a problem as they popped back on well -- and then the plastic
on-off slider just wore out. It had a raised strip on the plastic
slider which served as something to grab with a nail, and it just
eventually wore down. So I went looking for something perhaps a
bit sturdier.




What I found was a Rii Model K22.
The box had some different numbers in addition to that, and the
label on the keyboard also had other numbers, but the best way to
find it is to look for the K22. It was a solid, mostly metal,
keyboard, so I bought it. No flex to speak of, and the keys are
made to not pop off.




There are some caveats. The volume up-down and mute buttons are
part of the touchpad, not physical buttons, and are not lighted.
In a dark room, with a black keyboard and touchpad, it can be easy
to hit the wrong area of the touchpad. Also, I have yet to get the
scroll feature -- supposedly the right side of the touchpad -- to
work properly, but most of the time I can scroll with two fingers
on the touchpad. Also, and I have no clue why, it sometimes brings
up a menu I've never seen before getting this keyboard. Yes, it's
pretty easy to make it go away, but still...




Unlike the K400r, the K22 has a rechargeable battery built in, and
charges via USB-C. Also, the touchpad is significantly larger than
that of the K400r. I have had no problems with touchpad's
responsiveness, other than the issues already mentioned. I'm not
really very good with touchpads, so perhaps I just haven't learned
the features.




I paid $18 at Walmart for the K400r, although currently on Amazon
it is going for $39.89 with a cheaper model for $19.99. The
cheaper model has fewer buttons and a few cutbacks on design
features. The K400r has a 4.2 star rating, with 67% 5-star and 16%
4-star. The Amazon AI reports, "Customers find the keyboard
functional and easy to use. They appreciate its responsive keys
and convenient setup. Many find it a good value for the price,
lightweight, and convenient to use from the couch. However,
opinions differ on the size and touchpad responsiveness." The
Logitech is wifi only, but it does come with the ubiquitous
Logitech wifi dongle.




The Rii K22 is currently $24.99, minus a 15% coupon as of this
writing. It has a 3.9 star rating, with 56% 5-star and 15%
4-star. Amazon's AI reports, "Customers find the keyboard works
well on all devices and has a responsive touchpad. They appreciate
its compact size and good build quality. However, some customers
have reported issues with missing keystrokes and keypad
malfunctions. There are mixed opinions on the touchpad, battery
lif