Review on Wireless Touch Keyboard with Easy Media Control 📺 and Built-In Touchpad for TV - Logitech K400 Plus by Adam Koakowski ᠌

Name: Wireless Touch Keyboard with Easy Media Control 📺 and Built-In Touchpad for TV - Logitech K400 Plus
Item: Wireless Touch Keyboard with Easy Media Control 📺 and Built-In Touchpad for TV - Logitech K400 Plus
Rating: 4

May 03, 2023

I³'m satisfied with the product, it³'s well made and the price is also satisfying.

Regarding the last "disadvantage" - for the majority of the "target audience", perhaps this will just be a "dignity", because. the keyboard is positioned as a "remote for a computer connected to a TV", and most users will not have a full-fledged PC, but an Android TV box or a built-in Smart TV.
On the other hand, such devices often have their own convenient remote control, often with voice control, and the keyboard is not so much needed.
Moreover - it is also declared as a "convenient device for Windows and Linux", where applications require, first of all, normal F1. F12.

The Logitech support page recommends installing the "Logitech Options" utility, which can configure the use of F1. F12 by default, to resolve this issue. I tried it.
But!
Firstly, the "settings" made are not saved in the keyboard itself (or USB receiver), they require a constantly running "utility" that converts the key codes to the desired ones. Those. you can't "configure" it on one computer and then connect it to another.
Secondly, this utility is only available for Win and Mac, and I need to manage an HTPC running on Linux. And although product support for CentOS is declared, there is no such utility for Linux.

And in general - such "basic" functionality needs to be done on the device itself, and not constantly hanging in the 50MB memory (where is it so much?) "utility".

Pros

- The range of the radio channel is very pleasing - Built-in touchpad, with adequate sensitivity, as on most laptops. If there is a habit to the touchpad - everything is very comfortable. - Compact, not much larger than a regular keyboard without a touchpad - Long battery life, mine haven't run out yet, but I've been using Logitech wireless mice for ten years now and the power consumption is always the same as stated, I hope this is in order.

Cons

1. The first thing that is immediately felt is that the batteries are not sitting tightly in the compartment. Because of this, when working with the keyboard in your hands, on your knees or on a soft surface, the batteries "clatter" against the walls of the compartment. This creates an unpleasant first impression and immediately reduces the subjective assessment of the quality of the device. I cured this by gluing small pieces of car noise insulation inside the compartment, thereby pressing the batteries to the case. 2. Cursor keys - "stumps". 8( It's better to sacrifice half of "Shift", as was done on the previous K400 model (without Plus), than to cut the most used keys on the keyboard in the style of 10" netbooks. 3. The function keys F1. F12 are connected by default as "multimedia" keys for Android, and the F1. F12 codes are issued only when pressed together with the FN function key, which requires two hands or finger stretching like a pianist. This would not be a problem if the keyboard had the ability to change and lock the mode permanently, or at least until the power is turned off. For personal computer users it will be very inconvenient, but for Win and Mac there is a "utility" driver that fixes this (see Comments)