By Nadeem Zafar
THE ART OF MECHANICAL KEYBOARDS
Pandemic lockdown made many people commit to something that others would find unusual, and out of the ordinary, and the world of mechanical keyboards is no exception. Having a huge surge in popularity, evident in the hundreds of thousands of YouTube videos, and a million strong subreddit page on Reddit mechanical keyboard have quite a following. But what makes a hunk of plastic, that sounds nice upon touch, intrigues so many on such a large scale - and why bother with it in the first place anyway?
WHAT ARE MECHANICAL KEYBOARDS?
Mechanical keyboards are essentially fancy keyboards at the end of the day. You don’t exactly need one, but you’ll have the urge for one, just because of the sheer level of customizability, and the overall improved experience. Think of a regular keyboard - but with removable parts, that come in all shapes and sizes, colors, textures, and materials. Each keyboard consists of a case, a PCB (a circuit board), switches that hold the keys, keycaps, stabilizers for the big keys like the spacebar, and a bunch of other secondary add-ons that enthusiasts like to include. The main idea behind mechanical keyboards are the mechanical switches.
Normal keyboards have this mushy feeling to it, that is shallow, and has very little tactile response to it - and this is because the keyboard you are using right now, is built on a thin layer of membrane, on top of a PCB. You simply press the key, applying pressure on the membrane, which is then intercepted as a keystroke. Ordinary keyboards are meant to be cheap, and efficient - as they are mass produced, so gimmicky innovations are often met with distaste; and this is where the mechanical switch lies.
Rather than interact with a piece of membrane, mechanical switches are used instead. These switches come in a standard size, but what differs is the tactility of the switches, the sound, and the actuation point (how far you have to press the key for it to register). Mechanical switches are much more of a niche product initially, which is why such switches were only used in high-end PCs in the late 90s to early 2000s and they were slowly phased off, until a German company called CherryMX bought the patent to the switch, and mass produced it themselves. These switches are essentially the backbone to the mechanical keyboard, and is probably what gives it most of its popularity , and the overall user experience.
WHY IS THERE SO MUCH HYPE AROUND THEM?
With all the details away, mechanical keyboards are at a level of popularity for various different reasons - all boiled down to:
1) customizability
2) experience
3) enthusiast community.
CUSTOMIZABILITY
Anything which the user can shape to their heart's content without much creative restriction is bound to make waves, and will always have an audience. This is true for any hobby out there, be it Lego or custom PCs. Mechanical keyboards are no different, and with keyboards being the literal centerpiece on most desk - they are usually a representation of what the user likes, their character, and their personality. Molding an inanimate object to your heart’s desire can give way to beautiful creations - be it keyboards with custom sculpted keycaps, or ones with insane innate designs on the case.
Not only that, but the level of customizability is also intriguing for most people. Those on a budget can pick up a barebones mechanical keyboard that has all the essential components, and then buy extra switches or keycaps. It's as simple as taking them all out and switching them for new parts. And for those that aren’t on a budget, mechanical keyboards have an endless array of customizable parts, from cables, to other soft mods (that stabilize the keyboard to prevent rattling, or soften the impact sound to make it sound fluffier and mellow) - both enthusiasts and budget-goers have something to their tastes. Surprisingly, there is a bustling mechanical keyboard community here in Sri Lanka - but the prices of even standard keyboards are above market prices.
CUSTOMIZABLE EXPERIENCE
Alongside the customizability, comes the experience. Once you experience a mechanical keyboard, you can never go back to that mushy slab of plastic you used before. And once you use a keyboard for a while, you’ll start to want more to experience all the switches, and all the keycaps, until you assemble your “gem piece of a keyboard” which the community calls the “endgame”.
For example, mechanical keyboards have 3 main switches: tactile, clicky, and linear. Clicky switches are exactly what they say they are, and some can be really loud - but have the feel of a typewriter at the same time. Linear switches are softer sounding, and more mellow - compared to tactile switches which are slightly louder, and have a greater depth to it, for a better tactile response. Each of these switches have a different look and feel to it - it all culminates for vastly different experiences. If you like typing for example, clicky and tactile switches are the way to go, just because of the way they replicate the experience of a typewriter, both sonically and in feel. Perhaps you want a quiet, low-profile keyboard that is comfortable and satisfying to type on - linear switches are great for just that. From just the switches itself, you can envision all the various factors that can be altered, to improve one’s experience. You can even go into the material of the keycaps (ABS plastic and PBT plastic have different textures and sound), and engraving on the keycap itself - with enthusiasts even printing things like Klingon on them.
Each factor can contribute to a different experience, and that thirst to experience something truly unique, and completely ‘yours' (considering that you put the parts together). This uniqueness behind the experience is truly why mechanical keyboards went from a niche product, to a mainstream computer peripheral that basically everyone has at this point. With so many brands, and manufacturers, each experience is unique, and tailored to one’s likes - in complete contrast to the mushy standard membrane keyboard that most use.
THE COMMUNITY
Last but not least, no hobby is finished without a sizable community that is brewing with enthusiasts constantly creating content, and sharing it on the internet. The mechanical keyboard community is huge on platforms like Reddit, and YouTube - as creators of all backgrounds constantly upload pictures and posts about their new keyboards and setup. Combined with the insane customizability and the unique experience of each keyboard, the mechanical keyboard community has a lot to offer, especially to beginners seeking to formulate their very first concoction of a keyboard.
In addition to that, there is the array of enthusiasts constantly creating new combinations - it's an endless source of content that you can watch right now on YouTube, or other platforms. Channels like Glarses, and Switch and Click have built a sizable fanbase of a million plus, entirely dedicated to talking and discussing all things mechanical keyboards. No one feels out of place, and there is practically everything for anyone, regardless of interest and tastes in keyboards.
CONCLUSIONS
With all the factors in mind, feel free to Google some of the terms mentioned, or watch a few videos from Glarses or Switch and Click - just to fall into the endless rabbit hole (that many have complained, has left a giant sized hole in their wallet - attributed to their endless purchases of new keyboards and parts). Just the sheer sight of something so polished and refined, which creates a unique experience upon touch, is all but enough to intrigue you. And if everything mentioned so far doesn’t entice you, don’t worry - there is an entire world out there that caters to everybody’s tastes!
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