Once a niche product for corporate presentation rooms and college lecture halls, mini Bluetooth keyboards have also become indispensable gadgets for gamer and home theater enthusiasts alike. Portable, versatile, and- best of all- cordless, these pocket input devices become increasingly more useful as one adds to their tech collection.
A shining example of a bargain Bluetooth keyboard is the Rii Mini Bluetooth Wireless Keyboard which will set you back about $30.00 and set you up with everything you need to command your home theatre PC, iPad, and Playstation 3. Combining a standard QWERTY keyboard (complete with function keys!) along with a responsive touchpad, mouse click buttons, and a laser pointer into a sleek-yet-sturdy 6” x 2 ¼” form factor is no easy task, but the Rii Mini accomplishes it handily.
Speaking of hands, those with larger mitts need not worry about their ability to navigate the Rii Mini. At 6’5” with gigantic hands to match, I have no problems gliding my large, stubby fingers over the keyboard which is- as an added bonus- nicely backlit with the press of a single button on the top left of the unit. This optional backlighting is clear enough to make the keyboard visible in a dark room, but isn’t bright enough to distract your eyes during a movie, meeting, or lecture.
Those considering the Rii Mini for home usage may find the laser pointer superfluous, but I found it quite useful in entertaining my energetic puppy from the comfort of my couch. Although it depletes the battery life rather quickly, the laser pointer is a nice feature to have on the keyboard even if you only use it once. Although, if you are reading this site, you’re probably the type of person who will actively find uses for a laser pointer once they know it’s built in their keyboard and we love you for that.
Less capricious users will find a host of other well thought out features added to the Rii Mini’s layout, such as the built-in dock for its tiny USB dongle or the ability to send a CTRL+ALT+DELETE command with a two-button keystroke (FN + Enter). Whether you intend to use the Rii Mini at home, in front of classroom full of students, or to help managers navigate the tech setup in your conference room, you will not find yourself wanting more out of this little, versatile wonder.
