Slashdot Mirror
Know Your Type: Five Mechanical Keyboards Compared
MojoKid writes As a power user, you notice certain things that the average person might not. One of those is the difference between typing on a sweet mechanical keyboard with luxurious key action, versus pounding away on a run-of-the-mill squishy plank that relies on membrane switches to register your keystrokes. The difference may seem subtle to the uninitiated, though even casual typists can recognize that there's something inherently superior about a mechanical keyboard. Of course, it's the mechanical key switches that are responsible for elevating the typing experience. These are better than the rubber domes found in membrane keyboards in a number of ways, including feel, responsiveness, and durability. Mechanical keyboards are growing in popularity, as word is spreading about how good they are. In turn, keyboard manufacturers have responded by feeding more mechanical models into what was once a niche market. If you go out in search of a mechanical keyboard, you'll now find a mountain of options. This roundup further reinforced something we've known for a long time, which is that mechanical keyboards are the superior choice for both gaming and daily typing chores. That doesn't mean they're all created equal — there are different key switches to choose from, and features vary from one plank to the next. The choice of key switch type is highly subjective but we can say that Cherry MX key switches are indeed of higher quality than knock-offs like the Kailh switch. That's not to say Kailh switches are bad, just that you can discern a difference when going from one to the other.
How much did this ad placement cost?
Keyboards using the "buckling spring" design, which is what the original IBM Model M keyboards used, are still available new. They're now manufactured by a company called Unicomp, and have been updated with USB and some other changes (Windows keys, etc.).
Unicomp's cheapest model is $79, which would make it tied as the cheapest keyboard in their test. I'm curious how it compares, in terms of performance, to the newer offerings. I've never used one of the Unicomp models personally -- just the old IBM ones.
I do find it odd that these keyboards are almost never considered in discussions of mechanical keyboards. They're among the cheapest models sold, and the buckling spring design is a well-known and respected one, at least historically.
As a touch typist I am very particular with keyboard
I have been using keyboard equipped with Cherry key switches for decades and there are five different Cherry key switches ...
Red
Blue
Green
Brown
Black
All of them function differently. Some with 'clicks', some without. The 'tactile' feel is different as well
There is one site that I recommend --- no, not ad placement, I promise --- that gives you a brief description of the difference of the Cherry key switches
Hope this helps !
Muchas Gracias, Señor Edward Snowden !
Sorry, forgot to include the link
http://www.keyboardco.com/blog...
Muchas Gracias, Señor Edward Snowden !
If you're going to compare mechanical switches, the unicomp keyboard should be included too.
No, that is not technically correct, and is somewhat of an elitist attitude.
Feel is something very subjective. Responsiveness and durability depends on the particular brand and type of switch that you use. There are some very good rubber-dome and scissor switches as well as there are mechanical switches that are crap.
Back in the '80s and early '90s when mechanical key switches was the norm there were more types available. These days, the market is dominated by the Cherry MX. It was one of the better mechanical switches then and now and it comes in several varieties. These varieties can feel quite different from each other, and you might like the feel of one, all or none of them - and that is OK.
The Cherry MX has also been cloned several times by other manufacturers, often in lesser materials and with larger tolerances.
The big durability argument with Cherry MX is not that they wouldn't break: because they sometimes do. The durability advantage is that you could replace individual key switches (or parts) that have broken.
"We mustn't be caught by surprise by our own advancing technology" -- Aldous Huxley
It's worth doing some reading, to understand the differences between the switch types. Here's a good description of three of the switches. You likely don't want the really loud ones - I recently bought a keyboard using Cherry Brown, which are tactile, but a bit quieter - it's still loud enough that my officemates had to get used to it, but at least they didn't kill me.
A lot of the sound from the mechanical keyboards with non-clicky switches like the Cherry reds and browns is from the keys bottoming out. You can add rubber o-rings to the keycaps to get rid of that bottoming out "clack".
I browse on +1 so AC's need not respond, I won't see it.
As a software developer, I have to admit I avoid mechanical keyboards like the plague, they require more force to type, they're louder (a really BAD thing when you're blazing out code), they take more time to press and debounce, and they cost ~600% more than a scissor switch keyboard (that has none of those problems if you have a typical 2mm travel vector on your keys, 200% less than most mechanical keyboards).
Speaking as someone who *does* own (and am typing this on) a mechanical keyboard, I'll still say that membrane keyboards get unfairly disparaged, and that some are very nice to type on.
Some (emphasis "some") of the cheapest models are ******* horrible, true, but the one I have at work is actually pretty good even though that itself is a cheap one.
The best membrane keyboards I've used are miles better than the worst mechanical ones. And the scissor/membrane job on my old Compaq Armada laptop had a very pleasant, low-travel feel to them.
I'm pretty sure that a lot of it's what you're used to.
"Slashdot - News and Chat Sites Deviant". (Click "homepage" link above for details).
I have a Unicomp as well, but I still prefer the Model M because the Unicomp doesn't have the steel plate in the bottom, and to me doesn't feel quite as solid. The keys are great, though.
Please stand clear of the doors, por favor mantenganse alejado de las puertas