Why you should develop with a Mechanical Keyboard
An introduction to Mechanical Keyboards for programming/software development
If you haven’t been living under a rock for the past few years, then you must have heard something about Mechanical Keyboards. But for those of you that do not know, lets talk about what they are, why they are important, and how they can improve your skills as a programmer/developer.
What are Mechanical Keyboards?
Mechanical Keyboards is a relatively new sensation that began back in 1985 with the creation on the Cherry MX switches. The first landmark Mechanical Keyboard that has firmly stamped its name in history was the IBM Model M keyboard that was first released in 1989 (with a revamped M2 in 1992).
A mechanical keyboard, as opposed to a regular keyboard, is named appropriately because of the parts used underneath. A mechanical keyboard uses actual, physical switches underneath the keys to determine if a key has been pressed or not. This is much different than, for example, a laptop keyboard. Laptop keyboards use a membrane like material to determine key presses.
In some cases, membrane switches can cause problems with things like:
- Pressing multiple keys at once
- “Ghosting” (used to explain when one keypress activates another key as well)
- Durability (the membrane wears out over time)
- Lack of ergonomic structure (i.e. Macbook Keyboards)
Mechanical keyboards solve all of these problems while providing a wide variety of switches to choose from. Each switch type is unique and can provide things like harder to press keys, “clicky” keys, and even “linear” keypresses. Let’s take a look at some of the more common switch types
Cherry MX Red
Quick Facts:
Actuation Force: 45 g
Feel: Linear
Preferred Use: Gaming
“Cherry MX Reds” is the most common type of mechanical switch found. These are mostly used for gaming due to the linear keypress cycle it has. Gamers typically find these type of switches better for things like “double-tapping”.
Cherry MX Brown
Quick Facts:
Actuation Force: 45 g
Feel: Tactile Bump
Preferred Use: Nice mix between typing and gaming
“Cherry MX Browns” are a nice mid-way for most people. Unlike the Cherry MX Reds, Browns include a nice little tactile bump when pressed. This bump is noticable by your fingers and helps provide physical feedback on a keypress.
Cherry MX Blue
Quick Facts:
Actuation Force: 50 g
Feel: Tactile Bump and “Clicky”
Preferred Use: Great for typing
“Cherry MX Blues” are the favorite of choice for typists. The highly audible “clicking” sound is heard on every keypress and is intentional. The dropping of the mid-piece on the keypress provides the audible sound.
Cherry MX Clear
Actuation Force: 65 g
Feel: Tactile Bump
Preferred Use: A stiffer version of the browns
“Cherry MX Clears” is a stiffer variation of the browns. With a more solid switch casing and a higher actuation force, the clears have been quite rare and are a great choice for keyboard enthusiasts who want a nice “in-between” but with heavier keypresses.
So why buy a mechanical keyboard for programming?
Why not should be the question. These are only a sample size of the vast variety of switches that exist. By using switches, you get tons of great functionality and capabilities as a programmer. Not to mention the ability to have better typing speeds with custom switch types, you can begin to develop your own typing style.
Looking at the hard facts, most programmers spend a majority of their days in front of their screen with the keyboard as their medium. Just think of a runner. Runner’s use running shoes. Not because they are meant for running but because they are designed for running. Just in that same fashion, mechanical keyboards have been designed from the bottom up as special keyboards for typists (i.e. programmers) and gamers alike.
So now that you have got some knowledge, why not check out some of the more popular keyboard? And if you have questions, swing by the /r/mechmarket. Tons of people are selling keyboards there everyday and I am sure we can find you that perfect keyboard for you ☺.
