https://unsplash.com/photos/b20J7YbTK8w

(Bernin Uben / Unsplash)

When we think about computer keyboards we think of the black dell keyboards that are common in offices and schools everywhere. We also think about our laptop keyboard, the flimsy short keys that feel like typing on paper thin crackers. These are not the only types of keyboards out there as there is a whole other type of keyboard one which gives something special and personal to your typing experience.

We all hope that there is a better way to type and there is. Mechanical keyboards are loved by many enthusiasts who love that great feeling they provide. This community has its ups and down but overall they are all about a great typing experience and making sure that you learn to love keyboards. I am one of these people who loves mechanical keyboards as I am a sucker for that great typing experience, and I figure that I will be typing for a while to come in my life.

First a little anatomy lesson on keyboards. The keycap is the piece of plastic that you press on to then press down the switch, which holds that key cap. This then tells the PCB or keyboard brain to send that letter signal to the computer to then translate it onto your screen. Often there will be a plate around the switches that changes the typing experience. 

Each one of these parts can change your typing experience, but I don’t have all day to tell you about them. So let’s focus on one of the biggest players, in a good keyboard. The switch.

To first talk more about those crappy office keyboards, those are known as membrane keyboards, and they don’t feel great to type on as you are pushing the key cap into a switch that is placed in a gel. So the typing experience can be summed up as less than desirable as you are just pushing these flimsy pieces of plastic into a membrane that feels awful. Laptop  keyboards are different in that the switch itself is very short so it activates very quickly and it doesn’t give your hands that great feedback you want from a keyboard. 

What sets a mechanical keyboard apart from the rest is that each switch has a spring in it. This spring is different for many switches as some take more force to push down than others. The spring gives you some resistance to typing, not so much that it tires your hands out, in fact it is really rather easy to type on them. This feeling makes a lot of people love them, as nothing compares to the feeling.

This is why I enjoy mechanical keyboards a lot more because they give some nice feedback from typing. Something that you can’t or don’t get from other keyboards. So if this sounds like something you want to learn more about then go on line and simply google “Mechanical Keyboards” and there are some great resources out there to get you started on a great typing experience.