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Cherry MX Mechanical Keyboard Switches Compared

Posted by timothy on from the so-it's-back-to-scouring-thriftstores dept.

crookedvulture writes "Keyboards with mechanical key switches are enjoying a renaissance of sorts. They're prized by gamers, coders, and writers alike, and Cherry's MX switches are the most popular on newer models. There are MX blue, brown, black, and red switches, each with a different tactile feel and audible note. This comparison of four otherwise identical Rosewill keyboards details how each switch type feels and sounds, complete with audio recordings of the various colors in action. Recommended reading for anyone considering a mechanical keyboard or one of the Rosewills, which cost about $100. Looks like the removable USB cord on these particular models is prone to breakage."

6 of 223 comments (clear)

  1. I bought one by nimbius · · Score: 5, Informative

    from the company that holds the original design patent from IBM for the Model M, and inhereted the process from Lexmark. The keyboard is still built and serviced in Lexington, Kentucky. They ship internationally. have a nice rennaissance.

    http://www.pckeyboard.com/

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    Good people go to bed earlier.
    1. Re:I bought one by uburoy · · Score: 5, Funny

      I would have had first post if only I had the right keyboard ...

    2. Re:I bought one by spauldo · · Score: 5, Interesting

      None of those things are true if you buy a used Model M.

      I'm sure it's not an official policy, but I was missing a few keycaps off a Model M (a 1980s model) and shot off an email to Unicomp to ask them if I could buy just a few caps from them. I made it clear that I was expecting to pay for them.

      The guy emailed me back, asking what keycaps I was missing. I answered, and then didn't hear from him again. A week or so later, I get a small box in the mail with my keycaps.

      I had never given Unicomp a dime of my money - this was an old IBM product I wanted parts for. Since then, I've bought three of their keyboards, and they're the only keyboard I'll buy.

      --
      Those who can't do, teach. Those who can't teach either, do tech support.
  2. Hands down best site.. by ZiakII · · Score: 5, Informative

    Hands down the best set of information have ever seen about mechanical keyboards was this forum post on the topic it has everything you want to know about the subject.

  3. Re:Bluetooth? by RobbieCrash · · Score: 5, Informative

    PS/2 has unlimited simultaneous keypresses (n key rollover/NKRO). USB, depending on where you look, either cannot, or needs a workaround to do more than 6 keys and a certain number of modifiers, generally 4 (shift/alt/ctrl/super).

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  4. Re:Bluetooth? by somarilnos · · Score: 5, Informative

    Accurate, and, on top of that, USB is polling based, while PS/2 is interrupt based. USB will check the port every "n" milliseconds to see if there's data waiting, while with a PS/2 keyboard, when you press a key, an interrupt is generated. The delay is very short (depending on how often a given keyboard's driver polls, it might only be 10 milliseconds or so), but it's worth noting.

    PS/2 is still significantly better than USB for keyboard technology. But USB is usually good enough if you're not a gamer.

    It is worth noting too, that just because you have PS/2 doesn't mean you have NKRO automatically, as depending on the technology 'underneath the hood' of a keyboard, it might not allow certain combinations of simultaneous keypresses. But that's an issue that's resolved by getting a mechanical keyboard, since they have the individual switches.

    Shameless plug: Steelseries 7G. It's a big investment for a keyboard, but it provides NKRO, is a native PS/2 keyboard, is well constructed, and has audio jacks and USB ports on the keyboard, as well as a removable plastic wrist rest.