Well, there is a reason for that.
Keyboards are wonderful, and they are simply doing their best to connect work with productivity on the go.
They have become mobile and more flexible than ever.
Now they are available in Bluetooth.
The debate is about which one I should choose.
The Wireless USB RF one or the Bluetooth one?
Well, the answer to that might be hidden in this post.
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Why a Bluetooth Keyboard Isn’t Always a Waste of Money
I saw my friend going for a USB RF keyboard.
And then a few weeks later (maybe a month…I dunno), he came back again to that same retail store and bought another keyboard.
With that being said, there is a situational thing we need to discuss.
My mate here is a programmer, and he is a young chap from Sussex. He has been coding from his very childhood, and now he thinks of taking it big by freelancing. So, he took out this short-term instant cash loan for the unemployed in order to buy his own gadgets, such as the laptop and the keyboard he needed the most.
Now he met me a few days after that at a restaurant, saying what might not be right for the previous keyboard he had purchased.
Here is what he said:
“When I took that USB RF keyboard home, I have been happy. So, I plugged it in using that dongle and started to work. Then I had streams of messages and emails to answer on my phone. Then, it has been made clear to me that I might have purchased the wrong gadget. With a USB RF keyboard, you cannot just plug in your phone directly. You need an OTG dongle that would help connect the receiver with your phone. Luckily I had that. But then again, I realised I could not use it when the phone was going to be on charge.
You see, there are some reasons that make it clear why it is true that a USB RF Keyboard doesn’t make sense sometimes.
Although it is the quickest way to plug in a keyboard (apart from the wired ones) and then use it on the go, you still have some drawbacks to it.
These drawbacks might not be present in a Bluetooth keyboard.
Before we go on discussing why the Bluetooth keyboard has been appreciated by the industry and users a lot, we will need to understand the basic difference between the USB RF and the Bluetooth Keyboards.
Here they are:
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Cracking the Code Between USB RF and Bluetooth Keyboards
Well, Bluetooth keyboards and USB RF keyboards both share the same field, and that is wireless keyboards.
However, the technologies are slightly different, although their mechanisms are quite the same.
Let’s go with the first one.
A USB RF keyboard is one of the most useful keyboards that come in the wireless category.
You are looking at a keyboard that runs at a radio frequency of 2.4 GHz. The USB keyboard doesn’t need a wire since it is connected to another device using a simple USB receiver.
The USB Receiver is a USB Type-A dongle that will obviously fit in the USB Type-A ports found on laptops, TVs, or other devices.
The fact is that these keyboards can also be plugged onto a Smartphone with the help of an OTG dongle that makes a USB A slot available for the receiver.
Yes, connecting a USB RF keyboard with multiple devices at a time is a problem. But it is also true that a USB port bought externally makes that happen.
With a USB Switch, you may get that keyboard simultaneously connected with two devices and can ‘switch’ from one device to the other with the help of a click.
But that might get you to compromise a few things.
It is because a USB port or switch does not come wireless.
On the other hand, a Bluetooth keyboard is a keyboard that has an in-built Bluetooth device in it.
Any device with Bluetooth version 3.0 or more can get connected to a Bluetooth keyboard as per the current industry standards.
While Bluetooth keyboards give you the facility of a truly wireless environment, they might come at a bit of a high price.
But look at the bright side.
They are very compatible with other devices.
Bluetooth technology is becoming moiré and more accessible these days. Besides, Smartphones that are portless are already manufactured. In the future, we might get completely portless as laptops and Smart TVs will be the first devices to do so.
In that regard, it is true that you will find a Bluetooth keyboard useful like my friend did.
He now doesn’t worry about losing his USB receiver or charging his phone while answering messages.
Let’s look at some major benefits of the Bluetooth Keyboard then:
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What Are the Major Reasons Investing in a Bluetooth Keyboard Isn’t Wrong?
To be frank, it can be stated that the reasons people go for a Bluetooth keyboard is the flexibility it offers over the Wireless USB RF one.
It is true that Bluetooth keyboards are one of the most leading products in the market due to their portability.
Here are some reasons you might consider buying one.
- A Bluetooth keyboard can connect with multiple devices at the same time. It does not require any connector or USB port for that, and you can switch from one device to the other only with a single key. Keyboards like the Logitech K480 can do this.
- If you use a keyboard of this type, then you might have some advantage on the part of flexibility. You can get a keyboard that’s foldable and that too with a touchpad. Check out the products of Targus for this.
- With a Bluetooth keyboard, you can stay even more relaxed on the dongle. USB RF keyboard dongle works as a connector, and that helps in maintaining the connection. However, for its short size, it might be lost. You can buy the unifying receivers, but that needs time, and not all unifying receivers might work with your keyboard.
But I have something else to say.
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To Conclude: Maybe You’ll Need Both
If you want to get the best out of the short term loans for the unemployed you took out from a direct lender, I’d say you buy keyboards with both facilities.
There are products in the market that give you dual Bluetooth and USAB RF connectivity.
See, both technologies are dominant, and they can make a big difference. You don’t know the future. Although Bluetooth is rising in popularity, it is always better to have a Plan B with you for backup, right?
Well, think about i.
And use the loan wisely.
