July 22, 2025

HPR4427: Tale of Two (Wireless) Keyboards

5 minutes

This show has been flagged as Clean by the host.

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

life, and typing experience." The Rii keyboard can use wifi or

Bluetooth easily, and comes with a wifi dongle.

While I'm a touch typist, I don't use this keyboard for typing, so

I can't comment on its missing keystrokes. I'm sure there are use

cases where the Rii K22 would not be the best fit, but for my use,

it is a huge step up from the K400r. The build quality and

materials alone make it perfect for my use, where I sit in my

recliner and use it to maneuver my browser and streams, and then

toss it in the corner when I'm done.

If you have a need for a wireless keyboard, I hope you will look

at the Rii K22. But that's it for me this time. Thank you for

listening, and I hope to be back soon.

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