If you’re into computers, you’ve probably heard the term “Mechanical Keyboards”. While the term may suggest a dusty old keyboard from the 80s or 90s, it is actually much more than that. Mechanical keyboards are, in fact, all the new buzz in the market these days. Everyone wants to switch over to a mechanical keyboard rather than a membrane keyboard, which comes equipped with most computers these days. Mechanical keyboards are also, obviously, more expensive than membrane keyboards. But to understand why they are more expensive; you must first need to understand what they are and how they operate. This may also make you understand why a lot of people prefer to invest more in a mechanical keyboard in the first place, rather than buying a cheap membrane keyboard.
What is a Mechanical Keyboard?
To understand what is a mechanical keyboard, we must put it in comparison with a membrane keyboard. In the latter type, there is a flexible membrane present underneath the keys. Every time you press a key, the membrane is pressed down to touch the bottom layer. When this happens, current flows through the switch, and the computer recognizes the keypress or input. For instance, if you press down on the letter ‘W’, the membrane beneath the letter will touch down with the layer underneath, current will flow through the letter, and the computer will understand the keypress and show the letter on the screen.
When using a membrane keyboard, the user must press down the key completely for the contact to be made, and ensure that the key is depressed as well. This makes the experience of using a membrane keyboard exhausting. Now that membrane keyboards are understood, a mechanical keyboard in comparison to this procedure has a switch beneath every key. Each key on a mechanical keyboard has different tactical feedback, response, and travel time. Depending on the type of key, each key has a different response and travel time. To make it easy to understand, when you slightly press a key on a mechanical keyboard, the switch underneath goes active, registering your command and displaying it on the computer.
Since there is no common membrane connecting all the keys together, you don’t need to press all the way down for feedback or response. At Global Computers, we have several types of mechanical keyboards from various brands popular throughout the world. Some famous brands used by gamers mostly are Razer, Steelseries, HyperX, Redragon, TDagger, Cougar, 1st Player, Bloody, HP Omen, and Alienware.
Why Is the Investment Worth It?
Mechanical keyboards are made to last. And that’s a fact. Switches on a mechanical keyboard are made to last up to 50 million keystrokes, whereas a membrane keyboard switch can typically last only for as much as 5 to 10 million keystrokes. This is why many people prefer spending big on a good mechanical keyboard rather than a membrane keyboard, which comes significantly cheaper. If you’re still not convinced, mechanical keyboards have the capability to register responses from all the keys at the same time. For people who type very fast, this is specifically very helpful since they need to touch keys at rapid instants, and need response or feedback in quick time. Gamers also prefer using mechanical keyboards, especially since most games today required multiple key combinations at the same time to launch an attack or conduct a move. Doing this on a membrane keyboard may have you losing the game faster than you think.
Getting Used to It
We can agree that getting used to a mechanical keyboard is a tough job for a lot of users, especially if you’ve been using membrane keyboards for a long time and have gotten used to it. Membrane keyboards are usually silent or have very little key sound, which makes them better to use. However, a lot of people find it rather amusing and relaxing to have a mechanical keyboard make all that noise when you type something. It gives people the relief of being able to keep themselves satisfied that they’ve been working. These advantages, coupled with the fact that a mechanical keyboard allows you to move swiftly from one key to another very quickly, is the reason why people who may be annoyed with the noise, may disregard it. However, Mechanical Keyboards come in various sizes as well. A 60% Keyboard will have 60% of the keys of a full-scale keyboard. This decreases the user’s functionality but is useful for new users. Mechanical keyboards also come in 75% and 100% sizes. Keyboards are typically used the most by those who write stuff a lot, and gamers. Both of these types of people would rather choose an annoying keyboard sound over slower keyboard feedback.