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Mechanical Keyboards have always been a curse in disguise for me. Sure, the feedback is nice but the 'click' sound is very distracting and breaks my flow. It's

Mechanical Keyboards have always been a curse in disguise for me. Sure, the feedback is nice but the 'click' sound is very distracting and breaks my flow. It's even worse when a coworker/housemate/other person has one. I swear that sound is not impeded by walls.

phonon 9y ago
There are none-clicky mechanical switches too. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cherry_(keyboards) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cherry_(keyboards) Look at the column "Clicky".
zitterbewegung 9y ago
You can get quieter switches. Or even put a silencer on them (basically plastic rings).
- vlunkr 9y ago
  Not really silencers.. they dampen the sound a bit. There’s still a click.
  - zerokernel 9y ago
    Whether there is any click depends very much on the switch.
Fnoord 9y ago
My partner has the same, she hates my mechanical keyboards (mainly a Razer BlackWidow Ulimate Stealth). However she's sensitive to sounds in general (we suspect its part of a form of autism for which she'll get psychologically tested this year). It was an important factor of the decision to skip the MBP 2016, forcing me to go with a 2015 version instead. However, it is possible to make the sounds less severe by touching them lighter. And on the Razer device these are Cherry MX Black with silencer. There's Cherry MX Brown if you need a more silent switches. If it was my choice, I'd use Cherry MX Blue (or, well, Green, as it resembles the old IBM keyboard the best)... Personally, the sound of keyboards doesn't bother me (though I wonder the effect on TEMPEST). I just get annoyed by sounds from mobile phones in general. Especially if it keeps occurring all the time while the user is using the phone. Pointless IMO. "Look at me, I'm popular." I find it rude when people cause noise in public (such as a restroom, or a train/bus), be it they're on the phone or having a phone which generates noise. The exception I got to that is children. I have compassion for children, tho its the parents who should solve the problem that isn't always practical.
- LaikaF 9y ago
  I just recently put orings on my keyboard. It does take some of the clack out of it, namely the sound of you bottoming out. I know there are few other methods but this cost me like five bucks.
- apopt0sis 9y ago
  Made an account just to comment on this. I support you guys’ decision to getting screened for the spectrum. In the meanwhile, do check out the Wikipedia page for Misophonia. I have a form of it, where I can’t eat around people because the “chewing sound” they make is absolutely rage inducing. Similarly, one of my friends has a form of it where the sound of someone cracking their knuckles enrages her just as similarly, and she will start bawling, not crying, bawling for a good while. Neighter of us have a reason (or memory thereof) to associate these sounds as triggers. So, while I’m not a medical anything, I do suggest checking out that page, at least to quench your curiosity. For some added context, I do suffer from other auditory ailments, as well as ADHD. A link between misophonia and different mental sicknesses is suspected, however there is almost no research on this subject, leave alone one that’s looking for links. YMMV. EDIT: typos; on mobile
  - Fnoord 9y ago
    Cheers, TYVM for mentioning this. I bought this DVD [1] and will bring this subject up in my local autism group (I got a diagnosis as well). There are many more reasons for us to get her checked for the spectrum (me getting diagnosis was an eye opener for sure). I suspect this proposed disability (it isn't part of DSM or even ICD) might be linked to autism. At the very least, there's more sound related issues such as light sleep, exceptional hearing, and sensitivity to emotion in sound. Part of autism is under- and oversensitivity. [1] http://www.quietpleasefilm.com/about-2/ http://www.quietpleasefilm.com/about-2/
gambiting 9y ago
I specifically bought a keyboard with Cherry MX Red Silent switches for work, it doesn't click and the sound is quite muffled in comparison to normal MX Red. I've checked multiple times and it doesn't bother my coworkers.

phonon 9y ago

There are none-clicky mechanical switches too. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cherry_(keyboards) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cherry_(keyboards) Look at the column "Clicky".

zitterbewegung 9y ago

You can get quieter switches. Or even put a silencer on them (basically plastic rings).

vlunkr 9y ago
Not really silencers.. they dampen the sound a bit. There’s still a click.
- zerokernel 9y ago
  Whether there is any click depends very much on the switch.

Fnoord 9y ago

My partner has the same, she hates my mechanical keyboards (mainly a Razer BlackWidow Ulimate Stealth). However she's sensitive to sounds in general (we suspect its part of a form of autism for which she'll get psychologically tested this year). It was an important factor of the decision to skip the MBP 2016, forcing me to go with a 2015 version instead. However, it is possible to make the sounds less severe by touching them lighter. And on the Razer device these are Cherry MX Black with silencer. There's Cherry MX Brown if you need a more silent switches. If it was my choice, I'd use Cherry MX Blue (or, well, Green, as it resembles the old IBM keyboard the best)... Personally, the sound of keyboards doesn't bother me (though I wonder the effect on TEMPEST). I just get annoyed by sounds from mobile phones in general. Especially if it keeps occurring all the time while the user is using the phone. Pointless IMO. "Look at me, I'm popular." I find it rude when people cause noise in public (such as a restroom, or a train/bus), be it they're on the phone or having a phone which generates noise. The exception I got to that is children. I have compassion for children, tho its the parents who should solve the problem that isn't always practical.

LaikaF 9y ago
I just recently put orings on my keyboard. It does take some of the clack out of it, namely the sound of you bottoming out. I know there are few other methods but this cost me like five bucks.
apopt0sis 9y ago
Made an account just to comment on this. I support you guys’ decision to getting screened for the spectrum. In the meanwhile, do check out the Wikipedia page for Misophonia. I have a form of it, where I can’t eat around people because the “chewing sound” they make is absolutely rage inducing. Similarly, one of my friends has a form of it where the sound of someone cracking their knuckles enrages her just as similarly, and she will start bawling, not crying, bawling for a good while. Neighter of us have a reason (or memory thereof) to associate these sounds as triggers. So, while I’m not a medical anything, I do suggest checking out that page, at least to quench your curiosity. For some added context, I do suffer from other auditory ailments, as well as ADHD. A link between misophonia and different mental sicknesses is suspected, however there is almost no research on this subject, leave alone one that’s looking for links. YMMV. EDIT: typos; on mobile
- Fnoord 9y ago
  Cheers, TYVM for mentioning this. I bought this DVD [1] and will bring this subject up in my local autism group (I got a diagnosis as well). There are many more reasons for us to get her checked for the spectrum (me getting diagnosis was an eye opener for sure). I suspect this proposed disability (it isn't part of DSM or even ICD) might be linked to autism. At the very least, there's more sound related issues such as light sleep, exceptional hearing, and sensitivity to emotion in sound. Part of autism is under- and oversensitivity. [1] http://www.quietpleasefilm.com/about-2/ http://www.quietpleasefilm.com/about-2/

gambiting 9y ago

I specifically bought a keyboard with Cherry MX Red Silent switches for work, it doesn't click and the sound is quite muffled in comparison to normal MX Red. I've checked multiple times and it doesn't bother my coworkers.