When will mechanical keyboards loose their mechanical property?

[JPG]

Back in the days, good keyboards where made. But to lower production cost, they went down the route of cheaper keyboards ending with the rubber dome. Recently, some interest in mechanical keyboards has been renewed, mostly because of the gaming world (I assume). And since I got into mechanical keyboards myself (1.5 year ago), I noticed that more companies are getting into this game, but that the common rule seems to be to make them cheaper and cheaper.


So going down this line, they will end up selling mechanical rubber domes in a few years (not Topre quality).


What do you all think will be sold in 5 years?

[ferociousfingerings]

pretty sure we're moving toward cybernetic implants, and the art of typing will be lost altogether. We'll just think directly into the interface.

[davkol]

In five years? We'll "type" with wooden sticks over a rotten carcass.

[FrostyToast]

I feel like the technology for cybernetic implants might be way too unreliable, especially at the start.
It could be used to aid in autocorrect while someone is still typing on a keyboard.

[Computer-Lab in Basement]

pretty sure we're moving toward cybernetic implants, and the art of typing will be lost altogether. We'll just think directly into the interface.

But I do not wish to be assimilated, sir...

[cmadrid]

Resistance is futile

[fohat.digs]

What do you all think will be sold in 5 years?

Matters not to me. I will be typing on this F-122 5x5 years from now, if I am still alive (that would be at 87).

If I become frail or bedridden, I have a Filco Zero with salmon Alps to fall back on.

[smknjoe]

Technically, all rubber domes are mechanical. The only non-mechanical keyboards that I know of are laser and some touch screens. It seems like non-mechanical touch interfaces and voice are the wave of the the not-so-far-off future. Beyond 10-15 years...who knows, but I can only imagine that traditional typing will be obsolete along with mechanical keyboards.

[rowdy]

The average home consumer does not care.  They will use whatever keyboard Dell or whoever gives them with their "home computer".

Higher end "gaming" systems could more often be sold with a mechanical keyboard.  If someone spends more than $2500 on a gaming system, spending $150 on a keyboard would only be a fraction of that cost.

The middle ground between those two are people who want a little extra quality, but don't want to pay an extra price.  It is for these that a cheap mechanical keyboard might be an option.

[fohat.digs]

It seems like non-mechanical touch interfaces and voice are the wave of the the not-so-far-off future.

This is creepy to me. I have no desire to talk to my computer.

But, I suppose I am old-fashioned. When I go online to find out how to do something, I am often sent to a Youtube video.

I don't want to watch a video to find out how to cook an exotic vegetable, I want written instructions! Dammit!

[quadibloc]

The middle ground between those two are people who want a little extra quality, but don't want to pay an extra price.  It is for these that a cheap mechanical keyboard might be an option.

Especially now that you don't see Model Ms in the thrift shops routinely any more.

Given the low price of making things in China, there are all kinds of options. A buckling spring from China failed horribly, but that's because they cut corners and didn't put a solid backing under the keyboard. Enduring the extra expense of that would still lead to a keyboard much cheaper than a Unicomp, let alone a Topre.

So why hasn't it been done already? I think there can only be one obvious answer - that nobody sees much of a market for it. I'm actually surprised by that, since such a keyboard could go after the same market as Topre - businesses that want good typing keyboards for accurate data entry from their employees.

[mouse.the.lucky.dog]

In five years? We'll "type" with wooden sticks over a rotten carcass.

Uhm. That's not typing that's drumming.

[Oobly]

Ever since "gaming" became a market there have been input devices catering to it and that will continue, but gamers are just one part of the mechanical market.

Even if all the gamer-marketed boards become cheap junk there'll still be a core of mechanical keyboard enthusiasts buying "normal" mechanical boards (Cherry MX, Matias / Alps, Topre).

I don't see companies like Filco or PFU ever selling "gaming" boards and abandoning their quality.

[davkol]

In five years? We'll "type" with wooden sticks over a rotten carcass.

Uhm. That's not typing that's drumming.

That's fighting for your life.