Author Topic: Mechanical keyboards are a scam (Read 26239 times)

SuperSerb · « **on:** Fri, 01 July 2011, 15:26:08 »

I already made a thread about my IBM Model M keyboard, but recently I bought a cheap logitech rubber dome keyboard (10 euros). Now I type faster, the room is silent and I make less typos. I type at about 75 WPM btw.

So remind me again, why are mechanical keyboards all that great?

DaemonRaccoon · « **Reply #1 on:** Fri, 01 July 2011, 15:28:00 »

Cost increases with complexity. That is all.

daerid · « **Reply #2 on:** Fri, 01 July 2011, 15:29:24 »

seriously? where are these people coming from?

Input Nirvana · « **Reply #3 on:** Fri, 01 July 2011, 15:29:49 »

Mechanical keyboards aren't great or bad. It's what different people think is great or bad for them. Most people here believe mechanicals work the best for them, that's why this forum exists. Personal preference, not a scam.

keyboardlover · « **Reply #4 on:** Fri, 01 July 2011, 15:30:18 »

I agree with the OP.

redpill · « **Reply #5 on:** Fri, 01 July 2011, 15:31:24 »

Here we go again...

noodles256 · « **Reply #6 on:** Fri, 01 July 2011, 15:31:29 »

whats a mech keyboard?

they like gundams?

I want heavyarms

SecrtAgentMan · « **Reply #7 on:** Fri, 01 July 2011, 15:32:51 »

Okay?

My WPM barely increased from rubber dome to mechanical, it went up obviously.

I don't care about WPM or typos, I just love the feel of my keyboard/switches and the build quality.

Plus those crap rubber domes start to hurt after excessive hours of typing for me personally.

keyboardlover · « **Reply #8 on:** Fri, 01 July 2011, 15:34:20 »

*wonders if the OP has considered that there are a lot of mechanical keyboards that they might enjoy better than the logitech AND Model M*

SuperSerb · « **Reply #9 on:** Fri, 01 July 2011, 15:34:59 »

Quote from: keyboardlover;371465

I agree with the OP.

Show Image

I'm not a troll, you can check out the thread I made about my model m. I still love it for its retro feel and clickyness.

redpill · « **Reply #10 on:** Fri, 01 July 2011, 15:37:49 »

Quote from: SuperSerb;371460

recently I bought a cheap logitech rubber dome keyboard (10 euros). Now I type faster, the room is silent and I make less typos. I type at about 75 WPM btw.

Was it a Logitech K120? I've heard those are REALLY good.

keyboardlover · « **Reply #11 on:** Fri, 01 July 2011, 15:38:11 »

If you buy everything in my sig (except Taeyeon), your question will be answered.

7bit · « **Reply #12 on:** Fri, 01 July 2011, 15:38:59 »

Quote from: SuperSerb;371460

I already made a thread about my IBM Model M keyboard, but recently I bought a cheap logitech rubber dome keyboard (10 euros). Now I type faster, the room is silent and I make less typos. I type at about 75 WPM btw.

So remind me again, why are mechanical keyboards all that great?

Buckling springs are not made for speed, they are made for accuracy!

If you don't hear your keystroke clicking, has it registered?

Also: Every keyboard needs some time to get used to it. Even different key caps can make a difference! Just take your time and you will see, that your usual typing speed comes back. Also, you should try some Cherry or ALPS switches before you say mechanicals are bad!

IvanIvanovich · « **Reply #13 on:** Fri, 01 July 2011, 15:38:59 »

Inflammatory title = troll post.

mmmty · « **Reply #14 on:** Fri, 01 July 2011, 15:39:42 »

Model M is not the only mechanical keyboard.

7bit · « **Reply #15 on:** Fri, 01 July 2011, 15:47:14 »

Quote from: mmmty;371478

Model M is not the only mechanical keyboard.

Yes, right, there is also the Model F!

keyboardlover · « **Reply #16 on:** Fri, 01 July 2011, 15:48:40 »

OP needs to get a model F

\end thread

Tennobanzai · « **Reply #17 on:** Fri, 01 July 2011, 15:53:24 »

I thought it's known fact mechanical keyboards = huge e-peen? I dont even use half my boards cuz im just that big

bhtooefr · « **Reply #18 on:** Fri, 01 July 2011, 15:55:15 »

My fastest keyboard is on an Acer Aspire One - one of the old ones where 10.1" ones were still using an 8.9" model's keyboard. It feels awful, but I'm very, very fast on it.

My slowest keyboards are Model Ms. They feel decent, but older ones feel fatiguing after a while.

Model F, or Cherry MX Blue? Reasonably fast, and not fatiguing, and in the case of the Model F, awesome key feel, IMO.

eyeshield21san · « **Reply #19 on:** Fri, 01 July 2011, 16:41:13 »

Who is sending all these haters?

csm725 · « **Reply #20 on:** Fri, 01 July 2011, 17:10:38 »

me from ocn.

dreamingftw · « **Reply #21 on:** Fri, 01 July 2011, 17:47:18 »

Quote from: eyeshield21san;371533

Who is sending all these haters?

A rubber dome keyboard forum must've shut down somewhere and geekhack.org is probably the link they got from the 404 page error.

Daniel Beaver · « **Reply #22 on:** Fri, 01 July 2011, 17:59:15 »

Women should stay in the kitchen. They look hotter when they're submissive.

Quote

ed·i·fy (d-f)
tr.v. ed·i·fied, ed·i·fy·ing, ed·i·fies
To instruct especially so as to encourage intellectual, moral, or spiritual improvement.

(I wonder if I'll get banned anyways?)

strum4h · « **Reply #23 on:** Fri, 01 July 2011, 18:02:30 »

But I like mechanical keyboards =(

The Solutor · « **Reply #24 on:** Fri, 01 July 2011, 18:08:07 »

Quote from: eyeshield21san;371533

Who is sending all these haters?

Think less binary, love for A not imply hate for B, real world is analog and the human brain is built to understand it w/o great efforts.

elitekeyboards · « **Reply #25 on:** Fri, 01 July 2011, 18:23:49 »

Is it summer already?

The Solutor · « **Reply #26 on:** Fri, 01 July 2011, 18:26:36 »

Unless you live in Australia, it should.

qtan5370 · « **Reply #27 on:** Fri, 01 July 2011, 18:28:08 »

10 dollar great for 6-10 month, 100 dollar great for 5-6 years.

khanable · « **Reply #28 on:** Fri, 01 July 2011, 18:33:50 »

Scam?

Hardly

Mechanical keyboards have brought me fame, fortune, and tons of chicks

No chick wants your dinky 10 euro dome board, brotato

audioave10 · « **Reply #29 on:** Fri, 01 July 2011, 18:38:36 »

Whatever you like...dude. I also like the Key Tronic 3601 rubber dome. However, it is not the norm.

Daniel Beaver · « **Reply #30 on:** Fri, 01 July 2011, 18:41:10 »

On a serious note... I use a Dell Quietkey rubber dome keyboard at work. I rather like it.

But of course, the rest of these fools drink deep from the fountain haterade.

eyesnine · « **Reply #31 on:** Fri, 01 July 2011, 20:00:14 »

Mechanical keyboards have a lot going for them.

They're more durable.

They're customizable. Keycaps, springs, stems can be swapped and tweaked.

They're also not terribly expensive. I've bought Cherry MX boards from eBay at around $30-$40. I have one now that I've been using for almost 3 years.

Sure, they can be more expensive, but in the long run they can also be better value.

The Solutor · « **Reply #32 on:** Fri, 01 July 2011, 20:09:05 »

Quote from: eyesnine;371623

They're more durable.

While all your other points are more than valid, this requires a longer discussion, in short is not true.

eyesnine · « **Reply #33 on:** Fri, 01 July 2011, 20:17:58 »

From personal experience rubber domes wear out and stop rebounding properly.

I work with cash registers all day long, and have done for many years. Most are rubber domes, because they're more spill resistant, and more resistant to dirt and dust. So, in that respect they can be more durable, though I would term that "spill resistant" or "dirt and dust resistant". I'm actually waiting on ANOTHER replacement board because the enter button on the keypad of one of my registers is broken *AGAIN*. Cashiers love to hammer on that key.

A metal spring wears down much slower than a rubber dome. So, in an environment where the keyboard is well maintained and not subject to spills, for example, the mechanical keyboard will outlast the rubber dome.

ch_123 · « **Reply #34 on:** Fri, 01 July 2011, 20:31:22 »

Unless of course your keyboard has drainage channels

I'd challenge the OP to define what a "mechanical keyboard" actually is.

The Solutor · « **Reply #35 on:** Fri, 01 July 2011, 20:50:05 »

As I said long discussion needed.

Rubber domes are not all the same, there are zillions of them, the cheapest one starts from 3 or 4 $ and ends with Topre.

But even if we limit to the membrane ones there is an huge chioce, i have a client that owns more or less 70 PCs it's company grew slowly and so their PCs so in this company there are more or less 70 different keyboards, some are in the reservation sector where they are used continuously for 12h per day and most of them are cheap acer or samsung rubber domes that are working w/o a single glitch since 1995 or 1998, other ones lasted just 2 or 3 years, hardly a cherry MX board will last such time w/o a single switch broken or stuck, w/o losing evenness or tactility, w/o an oxidized contact or a bad soldering.

What changes is the fixability (as you said) a switch can be replaced, lubed, cleaned, but this hardly is an interesting matter for a large company, when you can swap a whole keyboard for 5$ who cares about replacing a switch that cost almost the same ?

We want to talk about legends ? You remember that filco ones will last 3 months when some cheap rubber dome are practically undeletable ?

Obviously even mech are not all the same there are the Buckling springs that are damn robust, there are other kind of switches, there are the cherry linear that surely will last more than the tactile ones and so on.

But the conclusion is that mech are meant to be cosed with the heart, not with the brain, trying to rationalize usually lead to tell lies to herself.

The Solutor · « **Reply #36 on:** Fri, 01 July 2011, 20:52:42 »

Quote from: ch_123;371634

I'd challenge the OP to define what a "mechanical keyboard" actually is.

I already challenged myself and the whole forum, w/o a reasonable conclusion.

keyboardlover · « **Reply #37 on:** Fri, 01 July 2011, 20:53:40 »

This is why we need troll polls.

ch_123 · « **Reply #38 on:** Fri, 01 July 2011, 20:58:03 »

Quote from: The Solutor;371639

I already challenged myself and the whole forum, w/o a reasonable conclusion.

I always liked the traditional definition of them being keyboards derived from electric typewriter mechanisms. Has nothing to do with the modern definition, but at least it makes sense.

The Solutor · « **Reply #39 on:** Fri, 01 July 2011, 21:09:18 »

Quote from: ch_123;371641

I always liked the traditional definition of them being keyboards derived from electric typewriter mechanisms. Has nothing to do with the modern definition, but at least it makes sense.

Is surely not wrong but also not too descriptive.

Maybe define them as keyboard where the elastic component of the keys is based on a metal spring (alternatively is not based on a rubber spring) could be a more descriptive definition.

Canuck21 · « **Reply #40 on:** Fri, 01 July 2011, 21:33:10 »

Personally I don't care if I type faster or slower. A handful of characters more or less don't make much of a difference to me since I only type for leisure like right now and at work I mostly use the numpad. What I care about is the feel and the sound. I want a keyboard that feels and sounds good when I press a key and mechanical keyboards satisfy those two senses, much more so than rubber dome keyboards. I now use mechanical keyboards both at home and at work and whenever I type on colleagues' rubber dome keyboards, the sensation is close to horrible; it's mushy and quite uncomfortable.

Basically, to each their own. If you feel better with rubber dome keyboards, then good for you. Neither types are are a scam, it's a matter of preference.

noodles256 · « **Reply #41 on:** Fri, 01 July 2011, 21:49:22 »

Quote from: ch_123;371634

Unless of course your keyboard has drainage channels

I'd challenge the OP to define what a "mechanical keyboard" actually is.

a gundam

False_Dmitry_II · « **Reply #42 on:** Fri, 01 July 2011, 23:38:08 »

Quote from: noodles256;371675

a gundam

I'll take the deathscythe

candy · « **Reply #43 on:** Sat, 02 July 2011, 09:09:58 »

Quote from: Daniel Beaver;371557

Women should stay in the kitchen. They look hotter when they're submissive.

Show Image

(I wonder if I'll get banned anyways?)

we can always hope.

keyboardlover · « **Reply #44 on:** Sat, 02 July 2011, 09:13:06 »

Ooh nice pic Beaver =)

clack · « **Reply #45 on:** Sat, 02 July 2011, 09:16:15 »

i love being scammed

Mazora · « **Reply #46 on:** Sat, 02 July 2011, 09:22:19 »

Quote from: SuperSerb;371472

I'm not a troll, you can check out the thread I made about my model m. I still love it for its retro feel and clickyness.

What about non-retro + clickyness ?

Ollum · « **Reply #47 on:** Sat, 02 July 2011, 12:06:21 »

can I haz troll?

IvanIvanovich · « **Reply #48 on:** Sat, 02 July 2011, 12:15:55 »

I'm convinced. What a sucker I have been. I can't believe I bought into comfortable, smooth feeling, high quality mechanical keyboards. I'm getting rid of them all immediately and will replace them with $5 rubberdomes. Thanks a lot.

TacticalCoder · « **Reply #49 on:** Sat, 02 July 2011, 12:31:50 »

Quote from: lysol;371999

I'm convinced. What a sucker I have been. I can't believe I bought into comfortable, smooth feeling, high quality mechanical keyboards. I'm getting rid of them all immediately and will replace them with $5 rubberdomes. Thanks a lot.

Same for me lysol: resistance is futile. GH is infested by users with less than 10 posts praising the greatness of typical rubber dome and one higher-level troll is helping them in that quest.

Selling my buckling springs and my Cherry brown ASAP and going to "it's-just-a-matter-of-preference-they're-just-as-good-as-mechanical" $5 rubber-domes too.

News:

Author Topic: Mechanical keyboards are a scam (Read 26239 times)