I'm guessing that opener leads most everyone to ask a number of questions:
- What is a mechanical keyboard?
- Why do I need one?
- How could it take a month to pick one out?
- Are you seeking professional help?
We'll skip the last question, that one is for a different blog altogether...
Before covering what a mechanical keyboard is all about, let's talk about what kind of keyboard you are most likely using. Almost all keyboards today use rubber domes under the keys to provide resistance. The keystroke is actuated and the bottom of the key press. This type of key is used because it's inexpensive. It does not have a great feel and does not last very long (relatively speaking). Because you must completely depress the key to actuate it, this takes longer and causes finger fatigue (again, relatively speaking).
By contrast, a mechanical keyboard consists of an individual switch for each key. The switch actuates before the key is fully depressed, and there are a variety of switches which have different levels of resistance, 'clickiness,' actuation distance, etc. I won't go on any further because honestly I'm just regurgitating what I learned here about mechanical keyboards anyway:
Overclock.net Mechanical Keyboard Guide
That is a fantastic guide.
So why do I need a mechanical keyboard? I absolutely do not need one. Any attempt to justify the purchase of a keyboard this expensive - they start around $100 and go up from there - would be a bit silly. I do work on a computer all day, but I'm not a writer and I don't type quickly enough that it can make a huge difference. Furthermore, I'm getting this for my home computer, and I only spend a couple of hours on that one each night.
I want it because I love gadgets. I love having a tricked out gaming rig with all the best accessories money can buy. The pro's use it, so I want one. I know it's silly, but it's true. The experience is supposed to be dramatically better - if I really do end up loving it I'll get a less expensive model for work.
After deciding that I just can't live without a mechanical keyboard, I then had the difficult decision to pick out the one that was just right - these keyboards are expensive and last for years so whatever I get I'll have for a long time. Anyone who knows me knows that I agonize over most purchases to a ridiculous degree. I want to get something with high quality, good features, and at a fair price - and even then it's hard for me to pull the trigger. This was no different, and fortunately for me my hesitance actually saved me from purchasing the wrong keyboard for my needs).
Which brings me to what I was looking for. When selecting a mechanical keyboard, I had to choose which switch type I like as well as all the other features a keyboard can have (macros, backlighting, etc.). At first I was set on the Cherry MX Black switches, regarded as the choice of pro gamers. Backlighting was a feature I like but didn't have to have, macros don't matter much to me, I like the media keys and I think usb ports on the laptop are nice to have.
With all this in mind, I first looked at the Razer BlackWidow Ultimate. This tricked out keyboard is backlit, offers over a dozen programmable macro keys, and many other features. However, it uses Cherry MX Blue switches, which I decided against. While these are the easiest of the Black, Brown, and Blue switches to activate, they have a 'clicky' sound built in. I don't mind the noise of a mechanical keyboard, but I don't want it purposefully accentuated. Further, there are questions of the build quality of the BlackWidow, as many users complain of similar problems with sticky keys and short lifespan.
Next I found the Tt eSports Meka G-Unit. This keyboard is just awesome. It looks cool, comes with a detachable usb cord, a sack to carry it in, a nice wrist wrest, and it's built like a tank. It's gotten great reviews too. There's just one problem - it was due in stores sometime this past summer and yet it still hasn't arrived. I was told five weeks ago it would be available in three weeks. I think it safely qualifies as the best keyboard money can't buy. It worked out well for me though, because given the month to wait on this one I did some more research and realized it would not be right for me.
The Meka G-Unit uses Cherry MX Black switches, the type I wanted before I knew what I wanted. These switches are the most durable, but also require the most force to depress. I want to be faster and save my hands from typing fatigue, so these are really not the switches for me.
In ruling out the Blue and Black switches in favor of the Brown (regarded as a great compromise between the Blue and Black) I also had to let go of the idea for a 'fancy' tricked-out backlit keyboard. At first I was a little discouraged about this but then realized it was far more important to me that my new keyboard feels and works great than whether it has backlighting or a fancy logo.
So I began my search for a mechanical keyboard with MX Brown switches. For this switch being the 'sweet spot' between the Black and Blue variants, there is a surprisingly limited number of boards available using them. Most of what is available is absolutely simplistic - a standard US 104 key layout. I wasn't completely against this, but was still hoping for something with just a little more to it.
As I often do, I placed myself in Google's hands at this point. I did a search for best mechanical keyboard and looked at an article called Top 5 Gaming Keyboards Mechanical Edition. Though I didn't necessarily agree with the whole list, it introduced me to the Ducky brand and mentioned that this is what most Asian pro-gamers use. Since Asians are the finest RTS players in the world, I figure if this is good enough for them it's good enough for me.
Some more research and I found that the 1000 series of boards is the entry level and probably not the quality I was looking for. However, the 9000 series is top of the line, and Amazon carries several of them (Amazon absolutely rocks). Since I know I want the ten key numpad and already had settled on the Cherry Brown switches I quickly picked out the model I wanted: the DK9008G2-B.
Nothing too fancy, this keyboard does come with some replaceable keys for those used most often in gaming. It also enables you to disable the Windows key, a must for gaming, and has four shortcut keys: Calculator, My Computer, default email client and default internet browser. Additionally, the usb cord is detachable and can be routed through three different channels which helps get it just right for my layout.
The keyboard should arrive tomorrow and I intend to type all my future entries here on it in nirvana (for $138 it better be!).
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