Mechanical keyboards are becoming ever more popular these days. They have especially skyrocketed in popularity among those who play video games, however, they are becoming more popular with other people as well. Therefore, while they are sometimes called gaming keyboards, this is no longer accurate given their multitude of uses now.
So let us now jump down the rabbit hole and discuss not only what the benefits of a mechanical keyboard are but what other types of keyboards are out there as well.
Other Keyboards
To properly understand the benefit of owning a mechanical keyboard, its best to understand how other keyboards work. So let us now start this exploration.
Rubber Dome Keyboard
Rubber dome keyboards or a membrane keyboard are some of the cheapest and most common keyboards on the market. Rubber dome keyboards use rubber domes to complete the circuit on the keyboard which allows for the input to be recorded.
However, this method of keyboard switches is very cheap and easy to mass produce which is why it is easy on the wallet but not the best in the long term if you want a high quality keyboard.
Dome Switch Keyboards
Dome switch keyboards are a mix of mechanical keyboards and rubber dome ones. There isn’t much to say about these keyboards apart from the fact that many low quality keyboards use this technology within them.
Scissor Switch Keyboards
These keyboards are one’s you will be familiar with if you use laptops. They have a plastic scissor shape that sits on top of your keys. There are no springs and the keycaps can not be changed. The scissor shape is all that it needs and it prevents any custom keycaps.
This however makes these keyboards easy to install on laptops as it helps their portability.
Mechanical Keyboard
Mechanical keyboards are what you were here to learn about so let us begin our discussion on them. A mechanical keyboard is one that uses clicky switches or clickable buttons. These are spring loaded switches that cause that clicking sound that we all associate with the keyboards.
Many mechanical keyboards have RGB lighting which adds to the perception that they are for gaming purposes. Some may also consider that they have a loud click noise while others may consider it a moderately loud click sound. When it comes to people’s general perception these are the features which stick out to them.
However, we are here to give you a better understanding of how these keyboards can be of great use to you in your day to day life.
Easy Typing
Typing on a mechanical keyboard is very comfortable, unlike some of the other keyboards. This is due to the spring loaded switch from a supplier like Prevail Key Co. and the high quality components put into the keyboard. There are also many function keys which can help make navigation on your system easier as well.
Mechanical keyboards are just very beneficial for long projects. Your fingers will be grateful to you for the added comfort while you work. This also allows for far more accurate typing than on a standard keyboard.
Tactile switches are what allow this comfort to be offered. Linear switches need to be pushed down all the way to record an input while tactile switches only need to be pushed down half way to record an input. This is what really separates a high quality mechanical keyboard from a low tier one.
No Input Lag
For a pc gamer, no input lag is very important. The nature of the mechanical keyboard allows them to be very quick at recording inputs. A linear switch will not be helpful in this situation. A tactile switch will be needed.
Imagine you’re speedrunning a game and you need very precise inputs to get that record. The tiniest of input lag or miss input could be the difference between a record and gaining nothing. That’s how important tactile switches are. A mechanical keyboard allows you to really up your gaming game. In this situation, you can call the mechanical keyboards, gaming keyboards.
Customization Options
Mechanical keyboards allow for a lot of customization. For one you can change keycaps into whatever you want. This allows you to add a lot of customization and personality to your keyboard. This could be a cap with your favorite characters from a show or your favorite online creator. The number pad can be made quite fun by adding calculator-like keys.
This amount of customization can also improve your creativity and productivity as if you feel good using your device, it often reflects in other things you are doing.
Downsides
There are some downsides to mechanical keyboards. For some the moderately loud click noise can be quite jarring to hear all the time. Especially if you have linear switches which can cause louder click noises. When it comes to these full size keyboards, this can be considered the main downside.
The only other downside is that these keyboards can be quite expensive for the best quality ones. However, if you take into account that mechanical keyboards last much longer than your average keyboards this can be considered an investment in the long run. The mechanical switches really do wonders in preserving the long term health of your keyboards.
Cheap mechanical keyboards however can be a real problem as they brand themselves as mechanical keyboards but really are not so in the slightest. So it is important to check what you are buying is truly a mechanical keyboard and not a ploy of marketing.
Conclusion
Mechanical keyboards are very durable, easy to type on and far more accurate than regular keyboards. They allow for a level of comfort which is not possible with many of its competitors. It is however also important to note that these are on the pricier side and may make a dent to your wallet.
Overall, while the loudness of typing may be a turn off for some, for the vast majority of people it is an added benefit. All in all, they are a great technology and useful for those who wish to buy them.