Mechanical keyboard: time to reach a wide audience

[ajx]

keyboard with mechanical keys does mean anything for a large public nowaydays.
ok high quality has a cost.
as far as i know, reducing cost is a basic processus of releasing products.
rubber dome has much lower cost then mechanical, otherwise, mechanical would dominate again keyboard's market.
its a fact, customers and keyboard manufacturers both would rather spend less.
severals months ago, if you told me there is mechanical pressing system for keyboard, i will be ignorant
wtf, what you are talking about?

except from forums like this (OCN btw), there aint many informations about it
until big keyboard manufacturers such as Logitech, Microsofot mind prenetrate into market
i appreciate gaming brands of being first to act
but it aint enough for now, gamers is a part of public, it still needed to convince a general public to discover mechanical keyboard

[keyboardlover]

Yea, good luck with that when the general public does the majority of their typing on flat, glass screens (iPhone, iPad, etc). Ugh I HATE touch screens.

[ajx]

i cant back for crap rubber keyboards,
i have one the best keyboard laptop (thinkpad), i must admit
its still crap in comparison with my mx brown keyboard

[keyboardlover]

I agree. Whenever I go from one of my mechanicals to my Thinkpad keyboard I'm like "SIGH..."

[db_Iodine]

I'm enjoying typing on my Deal Extreme HHKB killer right now.  Small, cheap and cheerful.   Just like I like my women.

So you like your women from Asia?

Seriously though. Most people are too ignorant to even try and learn how to type using all of their fingers, so don't expect them to bee interested in these high tech keyboards. All they think about keyboards is: "It's just a damn keyboard.."

[keyb_gr]

I'm not worried too much when it comes to publicity. Mechanical boards have certainly gone far more mainstream compared to 5 or 10 years ago, and that's a good thing.

The trend is not all that surprising either. With increasing saturation of the PC market in Western countries, people are focusing less on how fast and capable the machine is (unless they're gamers) and more on obtaining an enjoyable user experience for all-day life tasks, so it'll meet its user's needs. It all started early last decade with the silent PC movement.

[BigDov]

Interesting stance..... having learned to type on a typewriter, then on mechanical keyboards as I transitioned into the world of computers, I love getting back into the mechanical world.  

I agree with keyb_gr though, the silent PC movement has undoubtedly done a lot for advancing technology in this area, kind of making the people that like mechanical boards more of a fringe community.

[itlnstln]

Yea, good luck with that when the general public does the majority of their typing on flat, glass screens (iPhone, iPad, etc). Ugh I HATE touch screens.

I love my Evo, but I am hoping that Sprint's next "beast" phone has a hardware keyboard.

[keyboardlover]

I miss my Blackberry keyboard. Best one I've used on a mobile phone. If I could have Blackberry hardware with Android OS I'd be very happy. Droid Pro looks interesting though.

[ajx]

mechanical noise sounds good as if we listening rolling stone song
rubber dome noise sounds crap as if we are listening justin bieber

rubber dome does make noise!
it feels just different  and a litte bit more loud with mechanical

[itlnstln]

I miss my Blackberry keyboard. Best one I've used on a mobile phone. If I could have Blackberry hardware with Android OS I'd be very happy. Droid Pro looks interesting though.

My Palms were nice.  The problem with some of the newer Android phones with HW keyboards is that they are oriented in landscape.  With bigger phones, it makes it harder to type with your thumbs.  The Droid Pro is cool, but I want a slider to keep my big screen.  I think Dell has a WinMo 7 phone that would fit the bill, but I'm an Android guy.  If HP does something cool with WebOS, I would consider going back to it.  WebOS is killer from a usability standpoint.

[keyboardlover]

Typing on a Realforce is like watching a Girls Generation video.

[keyboardlover]

I think its exciting and awesome.

Filcos are like watching Zooey Deschanel in a movie. Uninspiring and depressing.

[RiGS]

Come on guys! Let's fight!

[itlnstln]

Or are those yardsticks?

No, metre-sticks.

[Pylon]

Let's get Unicomp to be more aggressive.

[clickclack]

I don't worry about it.  This current generation can't write worth **** anyway.

The timing was perfect.

I'm enjoying typing on my Deal Extreme HHKB killer right now.  Small, cheap and cheerful.   Just like I like my women.

I am wearing this shirt right now. Many effn lawls!!! -



It's a shirt I picked up from a Kills concert. hahaa

[quadibloc]

Let's get Unicomp to be more aggressive.

Well, they're already making the Customizer 104, with Windows keys, and even available with a USB interface.

So, for $79.00, you can get a fully modern, up-to-date version of the classic Model M.

So, although a tenkeyless would be nice, they already are making a product that is contemporary and could potentially appear on retail shelves.

Sort of. But looking at what is currently available, clearly what is needed is a cordless keyboard with oodles of multimedia keys. For the home computer market.

I think that a programmable keyboard aimed squarely at the point-of-sale market, with optional magnetic card readers and so on, might be a more logical way to go. For that market, accurate data entry is a selling point. (And think of the sales generated when people hear the dimly-remembered Model M click-clack at the cash register...)

[Pylon]

Well, they're already making the Customizer 104, with Windows keys, and even available with a USB interface.

So, for $79.00, you can get a fully modern, up-to-date version of the classic Model M.

So, although a tenkeyless would be nice, they already are making a product that is contemporary and could potentially appear on retail shelves.

Sort of. But looking at what is currently available, clearly what is needed is a cordless keyboard with oodles of multimedia keys. For the home computer market.

I think that a programmable keyboard aimed squarely at the point-of-sale market, with optional magnetic card readers and so on, might be a more logical way to go. For that market, accurate data entry is a selling point. (And think of the sales generated when people hear the dimly-remembered Model M click-clack at the cash register...)

The issue is that they're not well know, and well, their name sounds rather generic. And they need a better website.

[Lethal Squirrel]

I freakin hate when people say...

"Why did you spend that much money on a keyboard?!"
"It's just a keyboard"
"Mechanical? whats that mean?"
"It doesn't feel different to me"
"I don't like the way it feels"
"Why do you collect KEYBOARDS?"
"It looks just like a normal cheap keyboard to me"
"I could get one just like that for $5 at walmart"
"dude you got ripped off"
"It's not even wireless"
"my razer is better"
"my razer looks cooler"


I could go on and on.

I forced one of my friends who didn't like mechanicals to use one of mine for a few weeks, then I gave him his crappy one back. He said "what do you want for this thing"

[Lanx]

So you like your women from Asia?

Seriously though. Most people are too ignorant to even try and learn how to type using all of their fingers, so don't expect them to bee interested in these high tech keyboards. All they think about keyboards is: "It's just a damn keyboard.."

I just spent 404$ on dinner w/ my woman, definently not cheap...

[keyboardlover]

"It's just a keyboard"

Lol, Moogle said that once and I jumped all over him (Sorry Moog-meister). But GeekHackers know that keyboards are SERIOUS business!

[db_Iodine]

I just spent 404$ on dinner w/ my woman, definently not cheap...

That money would've been better spent on a Realforce.

[keyb_gr]

That money would've been better spent on a Realforce.

Even if that's not as easy to digest.

[Minskleip]

I like regular rubber domes better than scissor switches; those flat short throw thingies are just ass.

[Pylon]

I'm the opposite unless it's a very good set of domes. Scissors have sharper tactile points than the majority of rubber domes, and I prefer flatter keys (though preferably not totally flat) for some reason.

[Crypt]

This thread seems to have no topic, so I'll just respond to one of the earlier posts.  I actually looove how my thinkpad x24 keyboard feels.  Unfortunately, a regularly sized keyboard is more practical to use on a daily basis.

[typo]

i like all sorts of elite and unusual stuff. however i think if very many people were to try a mechanical keyboard they would not want a rubber dome anymore. of course when you mentioned the price they probably would stick with the rubber dome anyways. keyboards can be had for $5 now. just for the heck of it i saw a rubber dome in my garage a few days ago and tried it a little. it felt horrible.

on the other hand i always wondered if from an ergonomic standpoint domes are safer than mech's in the long run. i think most mech's and 55g topre for instance is much more pressure than a $5 dome. not than a keytronics though. maybe these people will have the last laugh.
on the other hand you have to bottom out on domes. since most of these people don't know how to type maybe they won't have the last laugh after all. i do not need to put much pressure on a cherry to register it. probably less than a realforce. i am not sure.

[Tony]

Mechanical keyboards are good for people typing or gaming a lot. Otherwise, a 5$ rubber dome will do just fine.

People who don't use keyboard much will not want to spend 100$ for a keyboard.

[db_Iodine]

Mechanical keyboards are good for people typing or gaming a lot. Otherwise, a 5$ rubber dome will do just fine.

People who don't use keyboard much will not want to spend 100$ for a keyboard.

Still, many people of the gaming community can justify buying a Logitech G19 for what, something like $150? But most can't justify spending the same or even much less on a mechanical, because they look like they have no nice features like the fancy Logitech. This is something that makes me do a double facepalm.

[Moogle Stiltzkin]

I got the same sentiments as Squirel.

But i can understand the non techies who don't use computers much, or have this must upgrade to better gear attitude etc etc. And that is perfectly fine.

But when their like, all keyboards are the same, *i roll my eyes

Kinda like how an audiophile tries to explain the difference between MP3 and lossless.


@keyboardlover

No offense taken. But at the time i was pointing out that keyboard to me was the least highest on my priority of pc upgrades, and i still stand by that

but seeing as i've already upgraded everything else, and i'm getting 2 new mech kbs, i'm all set >:}

[Reaif]

Getting the word out is something fairly close to me. I would really love to try out all these awesome keyboards, but I don't have the cash to spend. If I were to get people around me to start getting into mech boards, then I can try them without having to buy them myself.

Not sure what most of you guys do for work, but I work as quality assurance for a technical support group. Quite often I have to take a technician's work, analyze it, and figure how they can do better. For our chat technicians, typing speed is a huge one. I simply mentioned to one tech that mechanical keyboards were better and let him type on my das s ultimate with browns for 5 seconds, and he was practically sold on them. I've been trying to get the word out in my company in hopes that it will become something very common there. So far I have two people hopelessly hooked on the idea of owning a mechanical keyboard. I hope to get more soon