Everyone should buy one of these.
http://www.artlebedev.com/everything/optimus/

Those actually have good mechanical switches in them.

it's all about the mechanical switches

YES IT IS

My point being I don't need to find them, I can touch type so as long as I know where the keyboard is I know where every single key is. At no point do I need to see the actual keyboard.

I've got the Eclipse with blue backlighting. Types nice and the backlight is great since I'm normally in low-light conditions.

Yeah, I can touch type without looking at the keyboard, too. But we're not talking about that. We're talking about having one hand on the board, the other on the mouse, eyes focused on the screen. If I've got to hit a key that requires moving my hand off the keys it can be easy to get lost, especially if I need to do it quickly. I find it a lot faster to take a half-second glance at a colour than slide my hand along the board until I find the right key.


I had no idea I was translating such a difficult and complex concept.

I had no idea people had that much trouble finding keys without looking.

Back at you. I'm saying at no point do I need to see the keys. One hand on the keyboard, other on the mouse, I can press anything on the keyboard instantly without any hunting or looking or anything.
Why is it so hard to understand some people don't need to look at the keyboard?
You prefer to see the keyboard, I don't.
I prefer to not have light in my peripheral vision, you don't.

I'm fine with that, and I understand why you need to see the light, I don't get why you can't understand what I'm talking about.

Light makes things easier to see something, I get that.
Not everyone needs to see that thing, get it?

Hunt-and-peck! Hunt-and-peck!

I can hunt and peck at 80 words per minute.

Impressive

Why would I want a mechanical keyboard?

The keyboard I am using to type out this post appears and sounds not like a mechanical keyboard and it seems to be functioning just fine. It is quieter than having to hear the "click" that I remember from having typed on those IBM mechanical keyboards.

So, -ians, why should I, dalf, acquire a mechanical keyboard?

Because it gives you street cred, dawg.

From what I've heard, it takes forearms the size of tires to type on it comfortably.

I miss the sound of my mechanical keyboard. Especially when I'm writing*.



*you know what I mean

No, I do, but I feel CM doesn't get what I'm trying to say.

Allow me to illustrate.


What I'm trying to say:



What I think CM thinks I'm saying:




Okay. Apples and oranges or whatever.

For some reason those pictures made me LOL.
Kudos!

There is a huge ****ing spider on your desk dude.

Basically, because they provide more tactile feedback. Rubber dome switches don't actually activate until after you feel the "click." If you're careful, you can push up and down on a key, feeling the rubber dome collapse/expand without actually creating an electrical connection. On a mechanical keyboard, the audible and physical click IS the keystroke. Immediately upon physical feedback, you've entered a keystroke and can lift your finger. You don't have to mash it like a rubber dome. The result is that your brain gets better feedback, sooner, and you can (sometimes) type faster. You definitely type with more consistent force and less strain.


Indeed. Those are buckling spring key switches, which aren't that common in the high end keyboard market anymore.

In my short research I found the geekhack forums and their wiki page on keyboard switches. To sum it up, different switches are suitable for different tasks.

The Cherry switch company makes the switches that go in Filco (like mine) and many other keyboards, like the Das Keyboard (which is basically a modified Filco). There's three main types: Cherry MX blue, brown and black. The colors refer to the color of the stem on the switch (which is visible when a key is removed). The blues are very clicky (loud) and provide the best feedback for typing. The browns require a little less force, similar tactile feedback but without excessive noise (what I'm getting). The blacks require a bit more force and have a linear force curve, which apparently provides a great springy feel for gaming but isn't so great for typing. The MX black switches are in the SteelSeries keyboards, for example (which are probably made by the same company that makes Filco keyboards).

General consensus is that among the common Cherry MX switch types, blue is best for typing, black is best for gaming, and brown is somewhere in between, being good at both. One of the reasons blue is discouraged for gaming is that they're loud and can be distracting while in a game. The brown switches like I got are much more quiet. You can find videos on YouTube to get a good idea of how loud they are.

Then they're the Topre keyboards, which have some crazy hybrid of rubber dome and mechanical spring. Apparently they accept multiple levels of force (they use a capacitative switch) while still providing a lot of feedback. They're really quiet and also provide what people say is the best typing experience ever. Unfortunately they cost $230. Probably worth it if you do a lot of typing all day long (like me) but I personally can't justify the money right now.

Then on top of all that there's other factors, like how the switches are mounted. Filco keyboards mount the switches on heavy metal plates, Das Keyboards mount the switches right on PCBs. They're supposed to feel a little different... the difference of banging on metal vs banging on fiber glass.



In short: better tactile feedback, less wrist strain, higher typing speed. Not to mention that a good mechanical keyboard is indestructible and will just about never wear out.

My keyboard shipped from California today. Should arrive in Massachussetetsstests by Friday, hopefully Thursday.

I can't believe I have so much anticipation over something so mundane.

I'd like to try one of those out to feel the difference, but why are they so ugly? Looks like a keyboard from the 90's

What, the one I posted? I don't see how it's ugly. It's not fancy but it's very basic. From a design standpoint there is nothing wrong with it.

Well no there is nothing "wrong" with it, they obviously didn't spend much resources in the design or extra features.

If it does the job better than some cool futuristic looking keyboard, I know what my choice would be...

why can't it be a great functioning keyboard and look futuristic? I mean, $230? ouch, I'll take a cheap logitech screw it

I guess they don't hire designers

The Das Keyboards have a sleek, glossy look but that comes associated with all the problems of a glossy surface that you put your hands on...

If we're still talking about the keyboard in the opening post, I think it looks quite good. I'd much rather have something looking like that on my desk than anything else displayed here (ignoring the Polymoog). The fact that it DOESN'T have a bunch of lights and appendages, and has a simplistic black/white color scheme along with the orange logo makes it look stylish to me.

I've been looking at this keyboard http://www.computass.com/images/s510.jpg

Won't be as good for typing.

But then, ignorance is bliss?

Well it HAS to be better than the 10 year old gateway keyboard im using, it used to be white but it's taken on a color of it's own now.

Ohhhh, I originally wanted the blue backlighting since it matched my tower's LED lights, but I hear the red is easier on the eyes. Does the blue give you any eyestrain?

No, the majority of my setup uses blue light; keyboard, joysticks, two of my towers, one set of speakers, the brightest light on my router...

The blue light (from everything) is pretty calming. Maybe if you aren't wrapped in a light blue ambient that the contrast against flat black is too much (I know I can't read bright red and blue text against a black background without refocusing my eyes to compensate for the different contrasts), but I've never had a problem from the keyboard.

Red isn't really "easier" on the eyes so much as less distracting. That's why many new instrument clusters in cars use red light.

we talkin bout some blue?

i got some blue

Blue lights are very piercing and annoying.

I prefer a low amber.