Non Mechanical And Mechanical, Can't Tell The difference.

[Dicehunter]

So my black switch mechanical keyboard developed a fault so I sent it back and I'm awaiting my refund.

Now the thing is I'm using a Razer Anansi non mechanical keyboard I borrowed from a friend and I cannot for the life of me tell the difference between this and a mechanical keyboard with black switches in game or otherwise.

Would I be better off sticking to a good membrane style keyboard if I really cant tell the difference ?

 

[Snortan]

I'm actually surprised that you can't tell the difference between rubber domes and black mechanical switches. Last time I switched from domes to black switches my fingers got tired pretty quickly because blacks are quite stiff.

That's up to you really since this is quite subjective, personally I like reds and browns, blues are too noisy and blacks too stiff, but at the moment I'm still using a G15 because it still works and as long as it's not uncomfortable to type on I don't care what type of keyboard it is and see no reason for an upgrade atm. You just have to try them all, or at least a few and make your own opinions .

 

[Dicehunter]

Well so far I've tried blue and black switches, Blue switches was like tap dancing on Robocops head, Black switches felt just like membrane switches to me.
Red, White and brown I haven't tried yet.
I wouldn't mind getting the red switches for ultra silence and the low force needed to activate but all the boards that have them I don't like the look of and they don't go with the rest of my setup :mellow:

 

[MacLeod]

Stick with what you like. Neither type will make a difference in your games, they'll just have a different feel. I prefer Cherry MX Blues for my typing and gaming but most people don't. The mechanical switches that aren't supposed to feel like mechanical switches will feel kinda like membrane switches but will be more solid. And there is nothing "wrong" if you have a membrane keyboard that you prefer. I have a Logitech G510 and absolutely love it. I prefer my BlackWidow but I'll still break out my 510 every once in a while and use it for a couple weeks.

 

[Cru]

Did you try any other switches so far?
I had a keyboard with blacks, didn't really like the switches.
Blacks just feel kinda weird to me, probably because they're so linear.
With blacks and reds it's probably harder to notice a difference than with blues or browns.
If you have any friends that own a mech keyboard or some other way to test other switch types I highly recommend it, the difference between them is quite huge


//edit

should read earlier posts...
from reading the other posts I'd say give browns a try if you can test them in any way

 

[SeekaX]

I have never tested linear mechanical switches, but the difference between rubber dome and browns is immense. I can't stand typing on membrane keyboards anymore.

 

[SuB]

from my experience typing on blacks is quite stiff, but I used reds for gaming and typing now.

Did you bottom out a lot on the blacks? that's likely why you didn't notice the difference if so, if you bottom out a lot then the advantage of a switch that activates before the bottom is negated.

I think my next one will be a brown as I bottom out quite a lot with reds when I type quite fast, so i'd like to try and get used to an actuation with a more tactile feel.

 

[Edge]

I use Browns myself, having moved away from blues after the clickies gave me headaches. I bottom out most of the time while gaming, but it's still a pretty pleasant experience. A faster, light typer would probably really like the browns for the tactile feedback.

 

[SieB]

I can't tell the difference either, you can get good quality keyboard for around £50, I honestly don't see the point in spending £100+ on a keybaord. It's not like you are getting anything more for your money, a £10 keyboard will do the same job as a £200 keyboard. The quality of a more expensive keyboard is better, but as I said, for £50 (or less) you can get a good quality keyboard.

Each to their own, personally I think mechanicals are a waste of money.

 

[SuB]

I can't tell the difference either, you can get good quality keyboard for around £50, I honestly don't see the point in spending £100+ on a keybaord. It's not like you are getting anything more for your money, a £10 keyboard will do the same job as a £200 keyboard. The quality of a more expensive keyboard is better, but as I said, for £50 (or less) you can get a good quality keyboard.

Each to their own, personally I think mechanicals are a waste of money.

I get what you're saying entirely, but my job is programming so lots of typing so I notice the quality/longevity of a keyboard more and an investment in something that's rated for more taps/clicks/types than something else is always a plus, added to the fact it's more comfortable to type on etc.. I don't see a downside.

 

[SieB]

I get what you're saying entirely, but my job is programming so lots of typing so I notice the quality/longevity of a keyboard more and an investment in something that's rated for more taps/clicks/types than something else is always a plus, added to the fact it's more comfortable to type on etc.. I don't see a downside.

As I said, each to their own
The down side is the high price, personally I just don't see the point in spending anymore than £50. There are good quality non mechanicals, I think manufacturers take the P with the pricing of mechanicals and charge a premium just because they are mechanical.

I can understand people wanting a good quality keyboard, I just don't think there is that much of a difference that it is worth £100+.

 

[Dicehunter]

They charge a premium because they can, They cost pennies to make and surprisingly cheap to design when compared to how much they sell for and how much they sell.
People need to start voting with their wallets.

 

[SeekaX]

As I said, each to their own
The down side is the high price, personally I just don't see the point in spending anymore than £50. There are good quality non mechanicals, I think manufacturers take the P with the pricing of mechanicals and charge a premium just because they are mechanical.

I can understand people wanting a good quality keyboard, I just don't think there is that much of a difference that it is worth £100+.

Buying a mechanical keyboard as an average joe doesn't make any sense, but as a power user who types a lot you will value the comfort of a mechanical keyboard. Typing on a membrane keyboard is like walking on sand, it's exhausting.

 

[SuB]

They charge a premium because they can, They cost pennies to make and surprisingly cheap to design when compared to how much they sell for and how much they sell.
People need to start voting with their wallets.

erm welcome to modern day consumerism.. lol

As seeka said, normal keyboards cause fatigue much quicker/more often than using a mecha one for me. The red switch Qpad I'm using at work was only around £50, I have a pro one at home which cost just over £100 and there is a big difference in build quality, truthfully i only got it for N-Key rollover via usb but I won't be going back anytime soon.

 

[SeekaX]

erm welcome to modern day consumerism.. lol

As seeka said, normal keyboards cause fatigue much quicker/more often than using a mecha one for me. The red switch Qpad I'm using at work was only around £50, I have a pro one at home which cost just over £100 and there is a big difference in build quality, truthfully i only got it for N-Key rollover via usb but I won't be going back anytime soon.

+ I can use my Leopold tenkeyless to smash someone's head in, metal plate ftw. Can't do that with a cheap plastic keyboard.

 

[SuB]

+ I can use my Leopold tenkeyless to smash someone's head in, metal plate ftw. Can't do that with a cheap plastic keyboard.

Dude, cheer up Morbid bugger

 

[SeekaX]

Dude, cheer up Morbid bugger

I've always got a smile on my face when the blood splatters everywhere. :lol:

 

[Dark NighT]

I could never go back to membrane since i got my mechanical keyboard, i had the logitech g510 before and while it is a nice keyboard on its own, the membrane in that became more and more annoying to type on, like needing to put a bit more pressure on to get the key moving, which was the sole reason to go mechanical.

Ive got the corsair k95 and that has red switches which is just perfect for me.

 

[MacLeod]

I could never go back to membrane since i got my mechanical keyboard, i had the logitech g510 before and while it is a nice keyboard on its own, the membrane in that became more and more annoying to type on, like needing to put a bit more pressure on to get the key moving, which was the sole reason to go mechanical.

Ive got the corsair k95 and that has red switches which is just perfect for me.

Yeah that is the downside to rubber domes that they wear out where mechanicals dont. My G510 has a nice smooth feel to it but I can tell that they are starting to loosen up. I still like it tho and the wife prefers it cause its so much quieter than my BlackWidow so whenever she's on my nerves and I want her to go to another room it comes in handy. Haha!