
In praise of the mechanical keyboard - jgrahamc
http://fusion.net/story/113869/in-praise-of-the-mechanical-keyboard/
======
smcl
> The best thing about typing on a mechanical keyboard, by far, is the sound.
> The click-clack-click-clack is so familiar, and so soothing ...

Maybe it's soothing for the person hammering away on their mechanical
keyboard, but for anyone unfortunate enough to share an office with said
person it's excruciating. I really don't get why the whole noisy-keyboard-in-
a-shared-office never gets any play when this is discussed. Am I just
oversensitive to this?

~~~
venomsnake
> I really don't get why the whole noisy-keyboard-in-a-shared-office never
> gets any play when this is discussed.

If it is a problem there is simple solution - private office, remote office or
I fire the company. Simple. Effective. And why would anyone want to share
office - I have no idea.

~~~
smcl
It's very good that you're in the sort of position where you can make a stand
on that sort of thing - but I'm not quite there myself. In any case I do like
a shared space ("office" was maybe incorrect in my original comment) but for
people to be productive everyone needs to be just a little bit more
considerate than if they had their own office.

------
zamalek
> The best thing about typing on a mechanical keyboard, by far, is the sound.

The satisfaction for the sound is most likely a result of the tactile
feedback. The 'clackiest' switches tend to also have the most pronounced
tactile feedback. Pinning it to sounds is misrepresenting the advantages of
mechanical keyboards and makes them sound like a novelty (which they are
definitely not).

The satisfaction of mechanical keyboards comes from the feedback of knowing
when the key has been pressed: enthusiasts claim (and I agree) that bottoming
out keys is tiring for your fingers. The tactile response helps build muscle
memory toward this goal.

One of the most sought after switches (Cherry MX Clear) are evidence of this:
they are almost silent but have a strong tactile response.

> I’m not sure how my Das Keyboard 4 stacks up against the competition.

For a typist (or programmer) the switch is the most important feature of a
keyboard. A Cherry MX Brown feels the same no matter which keyboard it is
featured on - the only discerning feature on keyboards is their build and
operational features (such as NKRO on gaming keyboards).

One final point: it might be a better idea to stick to a single type of switch
everywhere. Mechanical keyboards are about building muscle memory - having
different switches (which have different activation forces) probably works
against you building it. I the long run your muscles will learn, but you will
hit the plateau faster if you stick to one switch.

~~~
chao-
Agreed on multiple points, but especially the muscle memory. Years ago I had a
board with Cherry MX Reds, acquired in Japan when they were still almost
unknown on any consumer models. Felt like a huge accomplishment in a keyboard
geek pissing contest to say I had the board, but it wasn't useful in practice
because I was so used to my MX Browns that shifting to Reds, even after a week
of use, resulted in this huge increase of typos, an an overall discomforting
feeling of uncertainty with the tool I was trying to use. I eventually gifted
the board to a friend who had never owned a mechanical keyboard.

I still type on MX Browns to this day, but the next board I buy will
definitely have MX Clears (or who knows, maybe I'll splurge on something
Topre).

I've never been one for the sound, though. Distracting when I use one, and
outright raises my blood pressure when it's someone else.

~~~
zamalek
> I was so used to my MX Browns that shifting to Reds, even after a week of
> use, resulted in this huge increase of typos

I also erroneously purchased a red keyboard. A coworker now uses it. The
reason is likely that reds have __NO __tactile response, but medium sound.

~~~
technomancy
Cherry Red switches are designed for gaming. Most of the time with games, you
hold the key all the way down for a while instead of tapping on it and
releasing it as soon as it actuates. So they're really not intended for
typists.

(Because of this they actually make great modifier keys even for typists
though, because modifier keys aren't meant to be tapped and released either,
so they don't benefit from a tactile response.)

~~~
yohoho22
The reason that red switches are popular with (some) gamers is that they can
be pulsed quickly right at the actuation point with very little rebound
between presses.

The tactile switches, on the other hand, have to be allowed to return quite a
bit more before they can activate a second time. Whether of silent design or
not, they have to unclick before they can click again.

------
antaviana
Currently I always use an IBM Model M both at home and the office and I
really, really love it.

I always had used Model M but stopped using them when I bought my first Mac
because it came with a keyboard and I was lazy to order a PS2-USB converter,
somewhat influenced by someone who told me they didn't really work well.

After some years with the Mac keyboard I felt like using again a mechanical
keyboard, so I bought a Das Keyboard (Clicky - Blue Switch). I thought I would
get the same feeling I had with the Model M, but it was totally different and
I did not really like it (it felt a lot cheaper than the Model M, and the
noise was similar to preparing pop corn).

Finally I decided to buy PS2-USB converters and was able to rescue the old IBM
Model M keyboards I had (more than 20 years old), and I'm not looking back.

However, to use these beasts you need to have your own office (or home office)
or else your colleges and loved ones will start complaining a lot.

~~~
peatmoss
Buy a Unicomp (pckeyboard.com) if you ever find yourself wanting of model M. I
did about a month ago, after being sad at the cost of vintage model M
keyboards that I had a small stock of many years ago. In short, the action is
exactly the same as I remember, probably owing to using the same mechanism.

Further, I was able to buy a keyboard with dvorak layout (in hardware, not
just the keycaps). You can also get them with caps and ctrl swapped and other
such tomfoolery.

Only minor complaint is the extruded plastic casing for the keyboard is
clearly not the best quality. You can see the way the plastic "flows." That
said, I'm sure the thing is bulletproof given its weight. The mechanism itself
is clearly of the highest quality, which is what counts.

------
mrbig4545
I invested in a Microsoft ergonomic natural 4000 keyboard. Probably the best
thing I ever did, now i have significantly less wrist pain at the end of the
day.

It did take a bit of getting used to though, but not that much, only a day or
so.

Anyway, I used to have an old mechanical keyboard. Sure it made a nice click,
but that's about it, I don't really get the whole "mechanical keyboards are
the best" thing

~~~
skwirl
I'm completely with you. I bought a Das Keyboard a couple of years ago that I
ended up sending back after a week. It did absolutely nothing for me and had
some quality issues anyway. I bought a Natural 4000 keyboard a couple of
months ago and quickly became a convert. I've never had any wrist pain issues
but it's still just a lot more comfortable than "normal" keyboards, which now
feel awkward.

~~~
technomancy
Luckily mechanical switches and ergonomic layouts aren't mutually exclusive.
IMO you can get a lot more comfortable than the MS Natural by ditching the
archaic row-staggering for a more finger-friendly vertical stagger.

~~~
mamcx
No? Where are mech+ergo in the market? I only find BYOD in hacker sites and
perhaps one from a company (don't remember the name), but is smallish and cost
to much for me.

BTW, I have used Natural keyboards from the original model!, so the only thing
that could me make change is ergo+mech, not just mech...

~~~
technomancy
Quality isn't cheap; this is true across the board. There are a bunch of
expensive ergo mech boards though:

* Kinesis Advantage, Maltron (the originals)

* Truly Ergonomic ([http://trulyergonomic.com/](http://trulyergonomic.com/))

* Infinity Ergodox ([https://www.massdrop.com/buy/infinity-ergodox?mode=guest_ope...](https://www.massdrop.com/buy/infinity-ergodox?mode=guest_open))

* Atreus ([http://atreus.technomancy.us](http://atreus.technomancy.us) disclaimer: I run this site)

* Ergodox EZ ([http://ergodox-ez.com/](http://ergodox-ez.com/))

* Keyboard.io ([http://keyboard.io](http://keyboard.io) still in preproduction)

* Axios ([http://axios.io](http://axios.io) still in preproduction)

~~~
mamcx
Truly Ergonomic look like is the only ready to use, without extra hacking.

------
cabirum
Have mechanical keyboards had any innovation since the release of Model M? I
mean, if the technology had any potential, you would see it evolve over time,
trying to get rid of unwanted properties (reduce weight, dimensions, loudness)
while refining the good ones (keypress feel, durability, rollover).

The lack of innovation is a sign of manufacturers catering to the
nostalgic&hipster audience who still can't get out of 1980s. Basically, every
article about superior mechanical keyboards reads exactly like audiophile-
targeted articles telling how vinyl sound is superior to CDs/digital.

~~~
Qwertious
Or maybe it's a result of people not thinking about keyboards much? Technology
evolution is driven by profit from a solid userbase, and right now the
userbase is fairly small, so there isn't much extra money for R&D.

~~~
lorenzfx
While there may not be much evolution in switches, there is a lot of recent
evolutions in keyBOARDs.

Some examples: two new versions of the ergodox announced more or less
simultaneously:

ErgoDox Infinity [https://www.massdrop.com/buy/infinity-
ergodox?mode=guest_ope...](https://www.massdrop.com/buy/infinity-
ergodox?mode=guest_open)

ErgoDox EZ [https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/ergodox-ez-an-
incredible-...](https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/ergodox-ez-an-incredible-
mechanical-keyboard)

Massdrop's Infinity [https://www.massdrop.com/article/the-story-behind-
infinity-a...](https://www.massdrop.com/article/the-story-behind-infinity-a-
community-designed-keyboard)

Keyboardio [http://www.keyboard.io/](http://www.keyboard.io/)

------
guylhem
Membrane keyboards are not all that bad.

I moved from macbooks to thinkpads for many reasons (including freedom - I
want a machine that runs coreboot) but the keyboard was just a big unexpected
surprise.

Now, I am a big fan of the pre-X220 "classic" 7 rows keyboards, found on every
model before. It's simple, comfortable and standard. I remember how a Thinkpad
600 felt "good" about 15 years ago, and now I just get the same good feeling
back. Maybe it's nostalgia, but it feels quite good.

For my desktop computer, I have a SK8845 (same thinkpad keyboard in usb form
factor), with a trackpoint + a trackpad + 5 mouse buttons all in one device.
Very handy, and no window keys to bother me. You can fetch a new one off ebay
for like $30. The SK8855 are expansive - a new one will set you back by $200.

Before that thinkpad keyboard, still in a membrane, I enjoyed the Apple raised
USB keyboard- not the contemporary aluminum chiclet keyboard, the plastic one.
On amazon, it's the M9034LL [http://www.amazon.com/Apple-M9034LL-A-USB-
Keyboard/dp/B0000A...](http://www.amazon.com/Apple-M9034LL-A-USB-
Keyboard/dp/B0000ACOBG)

I guess for me the difference is not so much the hipster "click" noise but the
size of the key. I don't want an empty space between my keys.

EDIT: fixed the model numbers

------
kluck
I used to try an old IBM model M in the office but my colleagues would not
accept the noise. Also I found it a bit loud myself. Currently I am using
various IBM/Lenovo Standard Server Keyboards - I can recommend them.

~~~
creshal
Same here, my coworkers danced in joy when I finally moved it home. Currently
using various Thinkpad keyboards at work, and the Cherry Stream XT on desktops
(cheap and sturdy, love it).

------
petepete
I use a HHKB Pro 2 in the office and would have a very hard time giving it up.
It is a joy to type on, I can reach all of the keys very easily and the CTRL
key is correctly placed; what more could I want?

Yes, I could get by with an 'ordinary' keyboard. I don't feel as though my
typing speed or accuracy improves vastly. But, it's comfortable, beautiful,
has a very premium feel, makes a satisfying 'thunk', and my hands are on it
all day; I'd buy another in a heartbeat if this one disappeared.

------
pvdebbe
The author describes his experience with mechanical switches being more tough
on fingers than the switches of mainstream. I have found the opposite;
mechanical switches are both more light to type and easier on the fingers
itself. And unlike the usual rubber dome keyboards, mechanical switches don't
harden over the years just like that.

~~~
technomancy
IIRC he says that it's rougher on the fingers when you're first learning
because you constantly bottom out. The trick is to release immediately as it
actuates, but this takes a while to adjust to.

------
maccard
I use a mechanical keyboard in the office, and It's definitely louder than the
membrane keyboard I use on my laptop. However, I don't bottom out my keys
anymore, and the click of the keypresses is quieter than anyone else in my
office who types more aggressively and bottoms out.

~~~
onli
It totally depends on the switches used. That is mentioned in the article, but
he is focussing too much on the sound to make that stick. Yes, MX-Blue are
quite loud. The mentioned MX-Brown are louder than a normal keyboard as well,
but even they are not really loud. Then come MX-Black, who have no click sound
at all, and should not be loud at all.

There are some alternatives, the old MX-Crystal (?), or MX-Green and Red, and
I'm only talking about Cherry. The author mentioned sour fingers, he probably
should get a keyboard with switches that need less force (with the MX-Brown he
should already have on, if I'm not mistaken).

Mechanical keyboards are no hipster-device for YOLO-sound (wow, that hurts to
write, and it hurt to read). They are the better tool for a job, if you write
much. It's a bit sad to see the article misrepresenting that, even though it
is nice to see them appreciated.

Tip: If you want to try a mechanical keyboard without fluff and hype price,
look into the basic cherry lines, G80-3000 especially. They have the same
switches and cost the half.

~~~
RansomTime
I got a basic cherry board, and the USB connection in the back broke after
about a month's use. I take it with me with my laptop - which could explain
the additional wear and tear, but I've not been doing anything other than
typing and removing the cable when moving the laptop - I can't say I'm
impressed with the life. (YMMV, of course)

------
holri
There is a reason why Pianists still love and use mechanical, wooden keyboards
designed 100 years ago.

~~~
keehun
Pre-WWI pianos from Vienna (the one I met was a Steinway) still have ivory on
the keys instead of some white coating they have on the keys now. Those ivory
keys are unlike any other piano I've touched. Amazingly contradictory feelings
of how sturdy the keys feel without the cold-edges. Very soft, but hard at the
same time. Amazing.

~~~
holri
You probably mean Bösendorfer? This is a Viennese company, Steinway not. Their
playability is incredible. The touch and sensibility of such instruments even
from 1910 (restored) is unbelievable.

------
dzhiurgis
One would save much more time by switching to alternative keyboard layouts
(dvorak, or something that was on HN mentioned as more code-friendly).

Typing for programmer is probably the least of a problem, we spend order of
magnitude time thinking.

~~~
technomancy
Much like switching to Dvorak, moving to a better key switch isn't about
speed; it's about comfort and satisfaction.

~~~
dzhiurgis
Speed was the only reasonable argument in this article.

I don't get how you can get better 'accuracy' on a 0|1 button.

------
venomsnake
Problems with mechanical keyboards - unavailable in Europe, extremely
expensive in Europe or always some twisted and perverted layout (qwertz, UK or
other travesties).

~~~
dijit
well, not entirely.

Amazon.de has US keyboard layouts (I bought three different products from them
with US keyboards) and all the "brick-and-mortar" stores in Sweden which stock
mech keyboards have the native nordic layout.

they are very much available in the EU, your point about having the native
layouts is true though- but that will be true for all keyboards in all
counties- people always stock the native and almost never another countries.

~~~
venomsnake
Have you checked prices compared to overseas though. Even if you add VAT they
are still more expensive. With the euro crashing it the price disparity is
reduced though. But it was annoying 2-3 years ago.

~~~
dijit
depends where you look I guess, I think in east asia it's cheaper, but that
might be because they're mostly produced there.

remember to not include USA because they do not compute sales tax on the list
price, only after check-out.

------
frik
Please produce a _notebook_ with a _good keyboard_ , again.

ThinkPad T420 and X220, you will be missed :'(

------
stefantalpalaru
I hereby declare my love for the Cooler Master Storm Quick Fire XT with Cherry
MX Brown switches. It's cheap and entry level but it is my first mechanical
keyboard and the tactile feedback is incredible.

