What kind of keyboard/keys do you prefer?

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What type of keyboard/keys do you prefer?

  • Linear mechanical (i.e. Cherry MX Red or Black)

  • Tactile mechanical (i.e. Cherry MX Brown, Clear, or Gray)

  • Clicky mechanical (i.e. Cherry MX Blue or Green)

  • Speed mechanical (i.e. Cherry MX Silver)

  • Rubber dome/membrane

  • Something else (what?)


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I thought of a little fun topic to see what kind of keys folks here prefer to type/game on. Let's see what the most popular is!
 
Mechanical Linear by far.
Though I haven't spent much time with a speed mechanical, and I really should give it a go because I think i'd adjust to it really quickly.
 
I tried to jump on the Mechanical keyboard hype train last year and was left hugely disappointed. After trying numerous different brands and types of mechanical keys, I came to the conclusion that Mechanical keyboards aren't "better", they are simply different. I wasn't able to get what I wanted from a Mechanical keyboard. The main issue is that I have become accustomed to basically resting my fingers on the keys when I game. I need there to be some resistance to pressing the key, so that the key is only pressed when I want it to be pressed. Too often with the mechanical keyboards, it was difficult to rest my fingers on the keys without accidentally pressing the key.

I've since found this site to be tremendously helpful, being able to visualize what I had to discover the hard way:
https://www.rtings.com/keyboard/tests/typing-experience

Here you can see the distinct difference between the Corsair K55 (membrane) and the Corsair K70 (CherryMX Blue). The membrane key has a distinctive hump in it's resistance to the initial key press (more than a mechanical key) after which the resistance drops below that of the mechanical key. The "tactile" feedback from the CherryMX Blue switch is minuscule in comparison.
membranevscherrymx.png


Taking two different types of "tactile" mechanical keys (RomerG vs CherryMX Blue) we see that there are also clear differences, but the mostly linear nature of the keys remains very similar overall, with neither providing any significant additional resistance to the initial key press.
romergvscherrymx.png


I'm sure that if I looked hard enough, I could probably find a mechanical keyboard that approximates the feel I'm looking for, but at the same time, there is really no need to re-invent the wheel. I simply picked up a Corsair K55 (membrane) and I've been very pleased so far. It was basically exactly what I wanted and it has a great high-quality feel to it. While a membrane keyboard can start to feel a bit "mushy" after a few years, i've discovered that this is mainly due to the plastic-on-plastic contact between the plastic keys and the plastic socket that the keys insert into. So once every few years I pop all the keys off my keyboard and use a Q-Tip to apply a small about of white lithium grease to the inside of each key socket. That makes the keyboard feel brand new again. This is how I made my Logitech G15 last for many years until I accidentally spilled water on it... :(
 
I tried to jump on the Mechanical keyboard hype train last year and was left hugely disappointed. After trying numerous different brands and types of mechanical keys, I came to the conclusion that Mechanical keyboards aren't "better", they are simply different. I wasn't able to get what I wanted from a Mechanical keyboard. The main issue is that I have become accustomed to basically resting my fingers on the keys when I game. I need there to be some resistance to pressing the key, so that the key is only pressed when I want it to be pressed. Too often with the mechanical keyboards, it was difficult to rest my fingers on the keys without accidentally pressing the key.

I've since found this site to be tremendously helpful, being able to visualize what I had to discover the hard way:
https://www.rtings.com/keyboard/tests/typing-experience

Here you can see the distinct difference between the Corsair K55 (membrane) and the Corsair K70 (CherryMX Blue). The membrane key has a distinctive hump in it's resistance to the initial key press (more than a mechanical key) after which the resistance drops below that of the mechanical key. The "tactile" feedback from the CherryMX Blue switch is minuscule in comparison.
View attachment 476086

Taking two different types of "tactile" mechanical keys (RomerG vs CherryMX Blue) we see that there are also clear differences, but the mostly linear nature of the keys remains very similar overall, with neither providing any significant additional resistance to the initial key press.
View attachment 476087

I'm sure that if I looked hard enough, I could probably find a mechanical keyboard that approximates the feel I'm looking for, but at the same time, there is really no need to re-invent the wheel. I simply picked up a Corsair K55 (membrane) and I've been very pleased so far. It was basically exactly what I wanted and it has a great high-quality feel to it. While a membrane keyboard can start to feel a bit "mushy" after a few years, i've discovered that this is mainly due to the plastic-on-plastic contact between the plastic keys and the plastic socket that the keys insert into. So once every few years I pop all the keys off my keyboard and use a Q-Tip to apply a small about of white lithium grease to the inside of each key socket. That makes the keyboard feel brand new again. This is how I made my Logitech G15 last for many years until I accidentally spilled water on it... :(
I think the ibm model m buckling spring is more what you're looking for.
 
I tried to jump on the Mechanical keyboard hype train last year and was left hugely disappointed. After trying numerous different brands and types of mechanical keys, I came to the conclusion that Mechanical keyboards aren't "better", they are simply different. I wasn't able to get what I wanted from a Mechanical keyboard. The main issue is that I have become accustomed to basically resting my fingers on the keys when I game. I need there to be some resistance to pressing the key, so that the key is only pressed when I want it to be pressed. Too often with the mechanical keyboards, it was difficult to rest my fingers on the keys without accidentally pressing the key.

I've since found this site to be tremendously helpful, being able to visualize what I had to discover the hard way:
https://www.rtings.com/keyboard/tests/typing-experience

Here you can see the distinct difference between the Corsair K55 (membrane) and the Corsair K70 (CherryMX Blue). The membrane key has a distinctive hump in it's resistance to the initial key press (more than a mechanical key) after which the resistance drops below that of the mechanical key. The "tactile" feedback from the CherryMX Blue switch is minuscule in comparison.
View attachment 476086

Taking two different types of "tactile" mechanical keys (RomerG vs CherryMX Blue) we see that there are also clear differences, but the mostly linear nature of the keys remains very similar overall, with neither providing any significant additional resistance to the initial key press.
View attachment 476087

I'm sure that if I looked hard enough, I could probably find a mechanical keyboard that approximates the feel I'm looking for, but at the same time, there is really no need to re-invent the wheel. I simply picked up a Corsair K55 (membrane) and I've been very pleased so far. It was basically exactly what I wanted and it has a great high-quality feel to it. While a membrane keyboard can start to feel a bit "mushy" after a few years, i've discovered that this is mainly due to the plastic-on-plastic contact between the plastic keys and the plastic socket that the keys insert into. So once every few years I pop all the keys off my keyboard and use a Q-Tip to apply a small about of white lithium grease to the inside of each key socket. That makes the keyboard feel brand new again. This is how I made my Logitech G15 last for many years until I accidentally spilled water on it... :(
I also wanted to jump on the mechanical train but my reason for not liking them is completely different than yours LOL I cannot stand the sound the noise pollution drives me crazy I need a silent keyboard or as close to silent as possible.
 
I also wanted to jump on the mechanical train but my reason for not liking them is completely different than yours LOL I cannot stand the sound the noise pollution drives me crazy I need a silent keyboard or as close to silent as possible.
I prefer this as well, which is why I went with the SteelSeries Apex 3 over one of the 7s (mechanical). That said, I know SteelSeries and probably some of the other keyboard manufacturers too have O-ring packs that you can put under the keys to muffle them. I'm not sure how effective they are though.
Razer Orange and Cherry MX Red/Black Silent are supposed to muffle sound automatically through their design, so people who want a mechanical keyboard but need as quiet as possible might look into these.
 
I prefer this as well, which is why I went with the SteelSeries Apex 3 over one of the 7s (mechanical). That said, I know SteelSeries and probably some of the other keyboard manufacturers too have O-ring packs that you can put under the keys to muffle them. I'm not sure how effective they are though.
Razer Orange and Cherry MX Red/Black Silent are supposed to muffle sound automatically through their design, so people who want a mechanical keyboard but need as quiet as possible might look into these.
Oh wow you just turned me to this now

SteelSeries Apex 3 TKL RGB Gaming Keyboard – Tenkeyless Compact Form Factor - 8-Zone RGB Illumination – IP32 Water & Dust Resistant – Whisper Quiet Gaming Switch – Gaming Grade Anti-Ghosting https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09FTNMT84/ref=cm_sw_r_apan_i_2DD192DN1M8CMYGTJEK6?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1

It's ten keyless, rgb, and silent whisper quiet. Holy crap! I'm going to consider this keyboard and might give it a try because the price looks very reasonable also. I was going to pull the trigger on the spot but I'll give it some time to think about, read some reviews etc then very well might go for this. Great information thanks! I've been looking for a high quality silent 10 keyless rgb board from a well trusted manufacturer.
 
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Oh wow you just turned me to this now

SteelSeries Apex 3 TKL RGB Gaming Keyboard – Tenkeyless Compact Form Factor - 8-Zone RGB Illumination – IP32 Water & Dust Resistant – Whisper Quiet Gaming Switch – Gaming Grade Anti-Ghosting https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09FTNMT84/ref=cm_sw_r_apan_i_2DD192DN1M8CMYGTJEK6?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1

It's ten keyless, rgb, and silent whisper quiet. Holy crap! I'm going to consider this keyboard and might give it a try because the price looks very reasonable also. I was going to pull the trigger on the spot but I'll give it some time to think about, read some reviews etc then very well might go for this. Great information thanks! I've been looking for a high quality silent 10 keyless rgb board from a well trusted manufacturer.
It's their entry level keyboard but it feels high quality and I find it quiet and very comfortable to type on. I have the full size because I use the number pad frequently in non-gaming applications, particularly Excel. It doesn't have the bells and whistles that their higher level keyboards have, but for me it's not a problem. The RGB is great, it's not per-key like on the 7s but you get eight zones with the TKL and ten with the full size. I've had mine for six months and I can say it's definitely the best keyboard I've had. Let me know if you have any questions and I'd be glad to help.
 
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Quiet + mechanical, clearly this is "something else" ;)

Most mech keyboards are noisy even with Red switches, some hellishly so, unless tweaked.
The quietest keyboard I found - without using O rings and oiling the stem, is Steelseries Apex Pro.
And its configurable key trigger height is a great feature, I've never typed faster.
The default keyboard is really nice all round.

It uses a hall effect trigger switch, not Cherry.

ps
I havent tried any other Steelseries keyboards so there may be a quieter one.
The Steelseries mouse I had and the support when it went wrong sucked. FYI
 
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Clears and Zealios personally.

Can type like a whirlwind on them. The feedback is just perfect.
 
The Corsair K70 is my gaming/light typing keyboard. It has optical-mechanical switches. My work keyboard is the Keychron K3 with low profile red optical switches. I'm very happy with them.

I didn't know Corsair had optical switches now. I've wanted a optical switches and that ticks all the other checkboxes I want too. It's pretty tempting.

I had one of corsair's first mechanical keyboards and they had a few bugs and major issues with the LEDs failing, but I really liked the design, dedicated media keys, and the scroll wheel.

Any problems with it?
 
I didn't know Corsair had optical switches now. I've wanted a optical switches and that ticks all the other checkboxes I want too. It's pretty tempting.

I had one of corsair's first mechanical keyboards and they had a few bugs and major issues with the LEDs failing, but I really liked the design, dedicated media keys, and the scroll wheel.

Any problems with it?
None at all. I've never had trouble with Corsair keyboards. My K65 Rapidfire is over 5 years old and still working great. Gave it to my sister after I got the K70.
 
I've been working on the Apple Aluminum keyboard (wired version) for 13 years now. In fact, I just bought a new one because my old one was getting sticky from a decade+ of accumulated grunge. Basically all typing, no gaming. Works fine with linux.

I guess it's a scissor switch keyboard.

I'm OK with mechanical switches, prefer non-clicky and short travel.
 
Oh damn, I may try out that exact setup. My Ducky One 2 SF with Reds is a dream, and would love to try something hot-swappable with Blues eventually.
I was very surprised by the K3. It's a lot of keyboard goodness for just $75. Mine is about 6-7 months old and still looks brand new. It's so easy to type quickly and accurately with the K3, too.
 
I got a chance to try out some linear keys at Microcenter a few years ago and loved 'em. I swore I'd get something with linear keys one of these days. I needed wireless, though. Luckily Logitech's G915 had that option (+ wireless), so I couldn't be happier. It wasn't a cheap option, but it's one I've enjoyed.
 
Snip.......................
Mechanical keys can outlast their membrane counterparts by a long shot. Typically, they have about twice the service life. However, the biggest problem with membrane keyboards for me is not their initial feel, but how they feel as they wear. With mechanical keyboards, I usually replace them due to getting bored, or wanting some different switches or style. With membranes, after about six months I can tell where I've worn the membrane. The WASD keys for example will have a noticeably different feel to them than the bulk of the keyboard. This inevitable inconsistency bothers me. Plus, over time I can feel the plastic on plastic grinding of the posts the keycaps sit on. I can't do it.

When they are brand new, membrane keyboards can feel quite nice. It's not the feel I prefer, but they are good enough. However, every single one I've ever used was worn to shit within six months to a year. I use my PC for work and play and its not uncommon for me to be on a computer 16+ hours a day. I wear keyboards out fast. With mechanical keyboards, I've never worn out the switches. I've had them fail of course, or I've had issues with the whole keyboard going out in some way on rare occasion. I've certainly worn down my fair share of keycaps on both. However, from the day they enter service to the day I retire them the keys always retained the same feel. That being said, I don't think I've ever had more than one or two keyboards actually die on me despite having owned a dozen or more mechanical units.

The lithium grease trick might work on the key cap's mounting post or whatever its called, but it wouldn't help with the membrane itself. I've taken them out after a year of use and there is always noticeable wear on them in certain spots. I would never buy a membrane keyboard for any machine that would see hard use. Frankly, I don't buy them anyway as I tend to pass old boards down to other systems and just get newer ones for my main rig.

As for your complaint about actuation force and resting your hands on the keys, you can get switches that are way heavier than membrane keys. Granted, some of the options out there might be rather rare. Certainly, you won't find Cherry MX Greens on any gaming oriented keyboards which seems to make up the bulk of what's out there.
 
Mechanical keys can outlast their membrane counterparts by a long shot. Typically, they have about twice the service life. However, the biggest problem with membrane keyboards for me is not their initial feel, but how they feel as they wear. With mechanical keyboards, I usually replace them due to getting bored, or wanting some different switches or style. With membranes, after about six months I can tell where I've worn the membrane. The WASD keys for example will have a noticeably different feel to them than the bulk of the keyboard. This inevitable inconsistency bothers me. Plus, over time I can feel the plastic on plastic grinding of the posts the keycaps sit on. I can't do it.

When they are brand new, membrane keyboards can feel quite nice. It's not the feel I prefer, but they are good enough. However, every single one I've ever used was worn to shit within six months to a year. I use my PC for work and play and its not uncommon for me to be on a computer 16+ hours a day. I wear keyboards out fast. With mechanical keyboards, I've never worn out the switches. I've had them fail of course, or I've had issues with the whole keyboard going out in some way on rare occasion. I've certainly worn down my fair share of keycaps on both. However, from the day they enter service to the day I retire them the keys always retained the same feel. That being said, I don't think I've ever had more than one or two keyboards actually die on me despite having owned a dozen or more mechanical units.

The lithium grease trick might work on the key cap's mounting post or whatever its called, but it wouldn't help with the membrane itself. I've taken them out after a year of use and there is always noticeable wear on them in certain spots. I would never buy a membrane keyboard for any machine that would see hard use. Frankly, I don't buy them anyway as I tend to pass old boards down to other systems and just get newer ones for my main rig.

We must use our keyboards differently I guess. I had my Logitech G15 for almost a decade and never wore out the membrane. I just pulled it out of the parts bin again to check if maybe my memory was playing tricks on me but nope, the keys still feel fine (only the CTRL key stopped working when I spilled water on it). While I was not typing documents on it for 16 hours each day, given the amount that I play World of Warcraft, suffice it to say that the WASD, Shift, and CTRL keys saw extreme usage. I am pretty anal about how my keyboard feels so I would not have kept using it if it started to feel weird. I will say though that all membrane keyboards are not created equal. I've thrown away plenty of cheap membrane keyboards over the years that did feel like they were wearing out, but the quality keyboards can have a very long life. Even my Corsair K55 is over a year old now and I can't feel even the slightest hint of a difference between the WASD keys (which get used for hours on end every day) compared to other keys like the page up/page down keys that are basically never used.
 
We must use our keyboards differently I guess. I had my Logitech G15 for almost a decade and never wore out the membrane. I just pulled it out of the parts bin again to check if maybe my memory was playing tricks on me but nope, the keys still feel fine (only the CTRL key stopped working when I spilled water on it). While I was not typing documents on it for 16 hours each day, given the amount that I play World of Warcraft, suffice it to say that the WASD, Shift, and CTRL keys saw extreme usage. I am pretty anal about how my keyboard feels so I would not have kept using it if it started to feel weird. I will say though that all membrane keyboards are not created equal. I've thrown away plenty of cheap membrane keyboards over the years that did feel like they were wearing out, but the quality keyboards can have a very long life. Even my Corsair K55 is over a year old now and I can't feel even the slightest hint of a difference between the WASD keys (which get used for hours on end every day) compared to other keys like the page up/page down keys that are basically never used.
I agree not all membrane keyboards are created equal. The typical OEM keyboards that come with prebuilt systems would show wear in 3-6 months. It took about a year to wear out both G15's I had. I used both the original and the smaller model that came out later with the revisions. But, the membranes definitely showed wear to a point where the WASD and other keys felt very different than say the J key, number pad keys or something like that.
 
I'm going to be blasphemous and say I prefer laptop-style (usually scissor-switch) keyboards... well-done examples like Apple's Magic Keyboard or Logitech's MX Keys, that is.

It's simple: I type a lot, whether it's at work or after-hours. I want a keyboard where I can type quickly and quietly. I don't want deep travel; I don't want to hear a constant clacking sound. That's not to say I'm completely opposed to mechanical, but it needs to be quiet and friendly to fast typing.
 
I'm going to be blasphemous and say I prefer laptop-style (usually scissor-switch) keyboards... well-done examples like Apple's Magic Keyboard or Logitech's MX Keys, that is.

It's simple: I type a lot, whether it's at work or after-hours. I want a keyboard where I can type quickly and quietly. I don't want deep travel; I don't want to hear a constant clacking sound. That's not to say I'm completely opposed to mechanical, but it needs to be quiet and friendly to fast typing.
I'm with you on laptop style keyboards. I type so much faster and more accurately on them. I've been using this Keychron K3 for nearly a year. It's got low profile red optical switches that are so easy for typing even better than on scissor switch boards like the MX Keys.

https://www.keychron.com/products/keychron-k3-wireless-mechanical-keyboard

I've recommended it to several friends who code and they all love it. I use it for my writing work.
 
I'm with you on laptop style keyboards. I type so much faster and more accurately on them. I've been using this Keychron K3 for nearly a year. It's got low profile red optical switches that are so easy for typing even better than on scissor switch boards like the MX Keys.

https://www.keychron.com/products/keychron-k3-wireless-mechanical-keyboard

I've recommended it to several friends who code and they all love it. I use it for my writing work.
That does look interesting. I'm also curious to see how well the quieter Logitech MX Mechanical fares.
 
I like my Logitech K270 membrane keyboards. They turn to mush after a few years, and then I spend another $20 to buy a new one.
 
currently using the Corsair K70 with the speed switches. hate the switch as the resistance is too low. resting my fingers on the keys could trigger them.
 
Ones that don't break when I spill water on them. Logitech is pretty good Corsair sucks. Big Shift keys on the left side. Wrist Rest that doesn't suck. Right now using Logitech Carbon with Razer Ornata wrist rest since my Corsair died cause of coffee.
 
I'm with you on laptop style keyboards. I type so much faster and more accurately on them. I've been using this Keychron K3 for nearly a year. It's got low profile red optical switches that are so easy for typing even better than on scissor switch boards like the MX Keys.

https://www.keychron.com/products/keychron-k3-wireless-mechanical-keyboard

I've recommended it to several friends who code and they all love it. I use it for my writing work.
Every time I type on a laptop or laptop style keyboard I want to throw it into the wall. I'm not sure what it is I hate about them beyond the very unsatisfying noise they make.
 
I like low profile clicky keys like on the Logitech G815/915.
IMG_2348.JPEG
 
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