Logitech K400 wireless keyboard
Wireless keyboards and mice have forever been tagged with the bad reputation of being needlessly expensive while being marginally useful, not to mention flimsy build quality and below average designs. So when it came to buying a wireless keyboard and mouse, it was the necessity of it sealing the deal.
Logitech has quite a fan following in Bangladesh, having been around with genuine peripherals and being eponymous with good quality and longevity for a while now. So when it came to buying a wireless keyboard+mouse, Logitech was the brand of choice, despite the availability of a few other cheaper alternatives from the likes of Prolink and Genius.
Unpacked, the Logitech K400 comes with a keyboard and a trackpad rolled into one, and included in the box is the Logitech Unifying USB receiver, a pair of batteries, and an USB range extender.
It's not a whole lot you get for the price you pay. Granted, it is the name and the promise of a good build quality you're paying for, so if the quality of the product is good, it might compensate for the hefty price you pay.
That's where the problem with the K400 lies. Even with the plastic sheet of the packaging wrapped around it, you immediately notice the keyboard is a little flimsy. The design is pretty slick, a slim profile housing a minimalist keypad and a funky trackpad. It looks good from a distance, but when you hold it, you can tell how flimsy it really is. The edges creak and the plastic feels cheap and seems to be of quite low quality.
Connecting it to a PC or laptop is seamless. Plug in the Unifying receiver into a USB port, turn on the keyboard using the tiny switch at its front side, and you're good to go. The standard range is up to 10 feet, while the range extender, when used, can boost it up to almost 15 feet. However, at anything more than 5-6 feet and when the keyboard isn't pointed towards the receiver, the device experiences issues. The trackpad becomes sluggish, the key presses sometimes fail to register, and overall, it gets a bit annoying.
The usefulness is there, mind you. Its especially useful when you've connected your laptop or PC to a TV or projector, and you don't want the hassle of a wired keyboard. The K400 allows you to operate it all from a sizeable distance, and the wireless experience isn't all that bad once you adjust to the occasional lack of response. It might actually be quite useful in office boardrooms during presentations, where you can leave the laptop close to the projector and keep the sleek looking (from a distance) keyboard close to you.
Does it justify the price? Probably not, in most instances. If you aren't easily angered by laggy electronic devices, then go for it.
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