How can you like mechanical keyboards?

[Fluxiantor]

It just seems to me that mechanical keyboards are overrated.


Compare this:



To this:




And I know, I know, "they only have rubber domes and not switches!". Is some metal as opposed to plastic really enough to justify paying £150 for something that looks and feels much worse than something you can get for £65 that looks and feels much better. If my friend comes round my house and sees the IBM model M, he will laugh. If he sees the Razer lycosa, he will jizz himself.


TL;DR, this forum needs more non-mechanical keyboard talk, a vastly underrated niche.

[fohat.digs]

The beige one on the top looks way more inviting and comfortable, to me.

But what do I know, I like music and cars from the 1960s.

[Glissant]

For me it's separated into two clearly defined categories.
The first category has the people that don't really care about what they type on, but the keyboard needs to have loads of extra features like lights, macro buttons and media keys.
The second category has the people that want a different typing experience with the added feel of quality, and who don't need a whole lot of extra features.

There are of course a bunch of nuances in between and around those two categories, but that's how I see it at least.

For me a mechanical keyboard destroys the competing scissor switch or rubber dome keyboards. I've been typing on the Apple wired keyboard (MB110LL/A) and it is a really nice keyboard for sure, but when i finally got to try a smaller, more compact keyboard with blue switches I couldn't imagine going to anything else again, simply because I finally feel like I am typing again.

This whole experience could be attributed to this being a new keyboard type for me, and the novelty might rub off the more I type, but only time will tell. Right now at least, I am having way too much fun typing on my new "baby".

[megnin]

How can you type on a keyboard with flat keys.  Two fingers, 11 words a minute, fire and jump is all that I can picture doing with it.  Sorry, that's just me.

[Glissant]

megnin, I actually have improved about 10WPM since I got my mechanical keyboard. That could be because I am actually enjoying typing on the keyboard though .
When I type on my Apple keyboard (bleh) I actually feel myself pushing down a lot more than I really need to, and because of that it turns out to get uncomfortable pretty quickly.
It's such a strange and almost backwards thing to be honest, but it does feel like a dream typing on my blues.

[alaricljs]

Yes it's possible, but the Dell RD I loved for some time died a horrid death of... aging.  It got progressively stiffer/stickier over time and that led me here.

[Glissant]

To be fair, Sean Wrona who is probably the fastest typist in the world at the moment had owned an Logitech Illuminated and didn't report much difference between it and a DAS with Cherry Blues.

There are some really excellent rubber domes out there - you have to really research to find them; most of them are from the past.  My personal favorite is a Compaq SDM4540UL; its not too heavy and has a nice thocky sound to it.

My biggest wish is for this illumination / macro button craze to die down and instead start releasing domes that are tenkeyless.

Yeah, I would still own my own Illuminated by Logitech if they got away with the silly plastic border, the lighting, the not so detachable wrist rest and all the dead space between and outside the rows.
And I totally agree with the fact that wpm and typing speed most likely has less to do with the actual keyboard, and more about what you like and are used to. A great keyboard will always be a great keyboard though. A ****ty one the same =p.

[Fluxiantor]

On a side-note, I've decided to buy a keycool 87 with MX red switches for some variance from my BWU with MX blue switches

[megnin]

megnin, I actually have improved about 10WPM since I got my mechanical keyboard. That could be because I am actually enjoying typing on the keyboard though .

Yes!  I don't find that surprising in the least.  You'll probably continue to improve as you become more familiar with the precise feel of your keyboard.

BTW, by "flat keys" I was referring to the picture of the Razor in OP.  I couldn't type on that thing.  It reminds me of my bamboo keyboard with flat keys and rubber domes.  No, you won't see it in my sig.  It's not worthy.  ;-)

[Tony]

I touch type and I don't look at the keyboard much, but I value the typing speed and the key feel. So I like mechanical keyboard very much and don't care about the led and the beautiful appearance of Logitech and Razer keyboards.

[Exort]

How can you like these "How can you like" troll thread.
With that said I'm curious what they come up with next time, since all switches have been done before.

[Awful]

I have a lycosa sitting in my basement that my cat **** on. You want it so your friend can come over and jizz?

[Keyboarder]

Since owning my new mechanical keyboard (razer blackwidow... i know i know!! but it was the only one on sale when i got it......) from my old microsoft comfort curve 2000 typing has been an absolute JOY and i swear my WPM has gone up by 10 words per minute!

The tactile feel and clicky sounds of the cherry MX blues really do make you feel like you are getting something done.
Just bought my blackwidow ~2 weeks ago and now i have the legendary model M on its way!!! :tongue:

[Mugen]

I have a lycosa sitting in my basement that my cat **** on. You want it so your friend can come over and jizz?

+1

[demik]

reported for copy cat thread

[xdmcDantex]

How can you type on a keyboard with flat keys.  Two fingers, 11 words a minute, fire and jump is all that I can picture doing with it.  Sorry, that's just me.

Holy ****, your keyboard collection is AMAZING. How do you like the CM quickfire with reds compared to all your other keyboards for gaming purposes only? Also how does it feel typing with it?

 But back on topic i think the OP is trolling, but if he is serious. I think both kind of keyboards get the job done. I think of mechanical keyboards as like how professional sports athletes use certain equipment to train and play. It is not a necessity and you do spend extra but what you get is a longer lasting more enjoyable (better performing) product. In my case i use mechanical keyboards for playing StarCraft 2. I could still play well with a regular keyboard but the added comfort and faster pressing of the buttons gives me that extra edge to play to the best of my potential.

In short a mechanical keyboard is not going to make you a faster typer or a better gamer but it lets you be more comfortable and lets your true skill raise even higher.

[tp4tissue]

Holy ****, your keyboard collection is AMAZING. How do you like the CM quickfire with reds compared to all your other keyboards for gaming purposes only? Also how does it feel typing with it?

 But back on topic i think the OP is trolling, but if he is serious. I think both kind of keyboards get the job done. I think of mechanical keyboards as like how professional sports athletes use certain equipment to train and play. It is not a necessity and you do spend extra but what you get is a longer lasting more enjoyable (better performing) product. In my case i use mechanical keyboards for playing StarCraft 2. I could still play well with a regular keyboard but the added comfort and faster pressing of the buttons gives me that extra edge to play to the best of my potential.

In short a mechanical keyboard is not going to make you a faster typer or a better gamer but it lets you be more comfortable and lets your true skill raise even higher.

that edge is psychological,,, if the op is refering to a mechnical keyboard NOT giving you a "physical" advantage then he's still correct. Mechanical keyboard will not make boxer scrub in starcraft,, although starcraft 2 that's another matter. LOLOLOL

[funxion]

Holy ****, your keyboard collection is AMAZING. How do you like the CM quickfire with reds compared to all your other keyboards for gaming purposes only? Also how does it feel typing with it?

 But back on topic i think the OP is trolling, but if he is serious. I think both kind of keyboards get the job done. I think of mechanical keyboards as like how professional sports athletes use certain equipment to train and play. It is not a necessity and you do spend extra but what you get is a longer lasting more enjoyable (better performing) product. In my case i use mechanical keyboards for playing StarCraft 2. I could still play well with a regular keyboard but the added comfort and faster pressing of the buttons gives me that extra edge to play to the best of my potential.

In short a mechanical keyboard is not going to make you a faster typer or a better gamer but it lets you be more comfortable and lets your true skill raise even higher.

Still waiting for my Filco, but I've used Logitech boards for as long as I can remember and this isn't entirely true.

Skill isn't really related to the equipment you use at all, and this is coming from someone who has been #1 in NA in two CoD titles.

On the other hand, comfort and ease-of-use may be preferable, which is a huge reason why I'm making the switch to a mechanical board.

[GS88]

Yes!  I don't find that surprising in the least.  You'll probably continue to improve as you become more familiar with the precise feel of your keyboard.

BTW, by "flat keys" I was referring to the picture of the Razor in OP.  I couldn't type on that thing.  It reminds me of my bamboo keyboard with flat keys and rubber domes.  No, you won't see it in my sig.  It's not worthy.  ;-)

Wow! You really have that much keyboards? Which one types the best in your opinion? I'm really hesitating if I should buy a mechanical keyboard or just a €5,- random one at the store. Only problem here is the stores have no mechanical keyboards, and I don't like to order to find out when it gets here that it's not just what I was looking for. I wanna 'touch' it first, and then buy it, and not the other way around. Are there actually any dutch people here who knows stores in the Netherlands that have these kind of keyboards?

[tobo]

Wow! You really have that much keyboards? Which one types the best in your opinion? I'm really hesitating if I should buy a mechanical keyboard or just a €5,- random one at the store. Only problem here is the stores have no mechanical keyboards, and I don't like to order to find out when it gets here that it's not just what I was looking for. I wanna 'touch' it first, and then buy it, and not the other way around. Are there actually any dutch people here who knows stores in the Netherlands that have these kind of keyboards?

You can check this tweakers thread for a discussion on mechanical keyboards:
http://gathering.tweakers.net/forum/list_messages/1492723/0

You can check a Mediamarkt or look on Dutch online shops for a Steelseries 6Gv2 or a Razor Blackwidow. But generally for anything else you'll have to buy it online (ebay etc.).