Rarely do I ever make threads like this, but I feel that I should spread the word of Mechanical Keyboards.
Mechanical Keyboards are, simply put, keyboards that do not use rubber membranes. Most keyboards use a sheet of rubber with little “bubbles” under each key. When you press them down, the rubber pops back up and pushes the key up with it.
Mechanical Keyboards are different in the way that they use individual switches to push the keys back up. The most common of these being CherryMX switches, ALPS, and Buckling Springs.
Cherry Switches look like this.
Seeing as these are the most common in modern mechs, I’ll only talk about these. But if you want to learn more about the different types, you can look here. http://deskthority.net/wiki/Main_Page
Mech’s feel amazing to type on, however each different type of cherry switch feels different. Either lighter or heavier, tactile or linear. Tactile switches are clicky, linear are smooth. These are distinguished by the color of the stem (the + piece in the picture). Blues are a normal weight tactile piece, meaning they’re clicky. The one pictured is an MXBlack switch, my favourite, it’s heavy to type on and is linear which is great for gaming.
If you want a damn good keyboard that feels good to type on, get a mech. They cost much more, however they last a lifetime. I recently spilt a little bit of soda somehow onto my board, which ended up making the B key sticky. I took apart my board, desoldered the B key (and it broke because I was a little careless). Took apart the switch, used a replacement switch (MXBrowns) with my MXBlack Spring(Which changes the force in switches) and stem. Then put it all back together. Which just goes to show that mechs are generally very easy to repair unlike crappy membrane keyboards.
My CherryMX Black Ducky Shine 3
My Cortron Model S (Hall Effect Switches, Not Cherry)
My Compaq MX 118000, Where I got my MXBrown Replacement.
Not pictured is my SMK Alps board which I’m thinking of putting in PCB’s colors and raffling off (with proceeds - shipping going to the server)