4 ms·

The keyboard is the main input device for a computer. It's like a classical guitarist arguing over the best guitar. That said, after years of trying different

The keyboard is the main input device for a computer. It's like a classical guitarist arguing over the best guitar. That said, after years of trying different boards, with different switches, I only see three ranks of keyboards: mediocre (most cheap rubber dome), good (most mechanical switches), and better (the most subjective, Model F buckling spring for me). The improvement from mediocre to good is larger than the improvement from good to better. As long as keyboard is not tiring or hurting your hands and wrists, it's probably good enough for you.

skeyo 5y ago
the difference being a nice guitar will sound better than a crappy one, and the purpose of playing a guitar is to create nice sound. sure, a mechanical keyboard may feel and sound better than a crappy one, but the purpose is to create input for a computer and it doesn't matter what it feels or sounds like (aside from enjoyment for the user)
- majewsky 5y ago
  I see you have not had RSI yet.
  - SketchySeaBeast 5y ago
    But will that be solved by a good mechanical keyboard, or good ergonomics? You can certainly buy non-mechanical ergonomic keyboards.
    - kesslern 5y ago
      If you want an ergonomic keyboard with a configurable thumb cluster I'm fairly certain your only options are mechanical.
      - NateEag 5y ago
        This is exactly how I wound up on an ErgoDox EZ.
- diehunde 5y ago
  That's not the whole purpose though. Besides having a better sound, expensive guitars also "feel nicer" to play. A professional guitar player could easily detect a cheap guitar by just playing it without hearing it.
- linsomniac 5y ago
  I notice you are generalizing the guitar analogy but then being specific about mechanical keyboard. I am more efficient and effective with my (generalized) keyboard at creating input for the computer than a cheap because of factors like: I can customize the layout in ways that match my specific work and habits, I can individually adjust each hand of the keyboard, I can reduce the likelihood of RSI... Yes, there may be non-mechanical options that address some of these issues, feel free to show me a non-mechanical that is easily programmable, supports "z if tapped, control if held", thumb clusters, and split hand ergonomic tilting/tenting. I haven't seen one. So forget enjoyment of the user, I'm confident I'm more effective than I'd be with a $10 membrane keyboard, especially when measured over the lifetime of my career.
- fsociety 5y ago
  There is a lot to a guitar. Players can be particular about the type of wood used on their fretboard, if the frets are slanted or not, if there are frets, floating bridge vs fixed bridge, locked tuners, intonation, weight, feel, electronics etc. The guitar doesn’t make the guitarist but when it is a labor of love some do really care about these things.
  - cma 5y ago
    Neck wood seems to have almost no impact: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n02tImce3AE https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n02tImce3AE Most tone there was found to be in pickup height adjustment.
    - TwoFerMaggie 5y ago
      I'm firmly in the "tone wood doesn't matter" camp. I choose body and neck wood based on looks (if clear finish) and weight.
- TwoFerMaggie 5y ago
  Funnily enough, it is widely acknowledged in the electric bass community that, once past a certain price point, spending more to buy a "nicer" bass gets you only marginal return in the quality of music you can make with it. The solution to getting a nicer sound is usually not in buying a nicer bass. Yet many still save for boutique and custom made basses that cost north of 5000 dollars. The difference is though, if you like a bass very much and it is comfortable for you to play, you would spend more time playing and practicing it, which I think is exactly the point of buying a mechanical keyboard (at least for me). It makes working on it more enjoyable.
bsder 5y ago
> The improvement from mediocre to good is larger than the improvement from good to better. This is broadly true of a lot of things. And the price change from mediocre to good is generally way smaller than the price change from good to better. Since you mentioned guitars (which are a nice microcosm), one thing that has changed from the past is that manufacturing is now super consistent so when quality tracks price it does so much more closely than in the past. In the past, with guitars, you could find the "stage queen"--that one instrument that happened to be made by hands far more qualified than expected and consequently much better than expected at the price point. The cost, however, was that often at a price point you got some absolute dogs that were terrible instruments. With modern manufacturing, that doesn't really happen anymore. But, while you lose the stage queen, you gain the fact that spending $X nets you practically the same guitar at the same price over and over. This is better for the amateurs (a guitar at a price point is roughly consistent and decent) but worse for the experts ("unique" instruments that they can distinguish are nowhere near as common).

skeyo 5y ago

the difference being a nice guitar will sound better than a crappy one, and the purpose of playing a guitar is to create nice sound. sure, a mechanical keyboard may feel and sound better than a crappy one, but the purpose is to create input for a computer and it doesn't matter what it feels or sounds like (aside from enjoyment for the user)

majewsky 5y ago
I see you have not had RSI yet.
- SketchySeaBeast 5y ago
  But will that be solved by a good mechanical keyboard, or good ergonomics? You can certainly buy non-mechanical ergonomic keyboards.
  - kesslern 5y ago
    If you want an ergonomic keyboard with a configurable thumb cluster I'm fairly certain your only options are mechanical.
    - NateEag 5y ago
      This is exactly how I wound up on an ErgoDox EZ.
diehunde 5y ago
That's not the whole purpose though. Besides having a better sound, expensive guitars also "feel nicer" to play. A professional guitar player could easily detect a cheap guitar by just playing it without hearing it.
linsomniac 5y ago
I notice you are generalizing the guitar analogy but then being specific about mechanical keyboard. I am more efficient and effective with my (generalized) keyboard at creating input for the computer than a cheap because of factors like: I can customize the layout in ways that match my specific work and habits, I can individually adjust each hand of the keyboard, I can reduce the likelihood of RSI... Yes, there may be non-mechanical options that address some of these issues, feel free to show me a non-mechanical that is easily programmable, supports "z if tapped, control if held", thumb clusters, and split hand ergonomic tilting/tenting. I haven't seen one. So forget enjoyment of the user, I'm confident I'm more effective than I'd be with a $10 membrane keyboard, especially when measured over the lifetime of my career.
fsociety 5y ago
There is a lot to a guitar. Players can be particular about the type of wood used on their fretboard, if the frets are slanted or not, if there are frets, floating bridge vs fixed bridge, locked tuners, intonation, weight, feel, electronics etc. The guitar doesn’t make the guitarist but when it is a labor of love some do really care about these things.
- cma 5y ago
  Neck wood seems to have almost no impact: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n02tImce3AE https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n02tImce3AE Most tone there was found to be in pickup height adjustment.
  - TwoFerMaggie 5y ago
    I'm firmly in the "tone wood doesn't matter" camp. I choose body and neck wood based on looks (if clear finish) and weight.
TwoFerMaggie 5y ago
Funnily enough, it is widely acknowledged in the electric bass community that, once past a certain price point, spending more to buy a "nicer" bass gets you only marginal return in the quality of music you can make with it. The solution to getting a nicer sound is usually not in buying a nicer bass. Yet many still save for boutique and custom made basses that cost north of 5000 dollars. The difference is though, if you like a bass very much and it is comfortable for you to play, you would spend more time playing and practicing it, which I think is exactly the point of buying a mechanical keyboard (at least for me). It makes working on it more enjoyable.

bsder 5y ago

> The improvement from mediocre to good is larger than the improvement from good to better. This is broadly true of a lot of things. And the price change from mediocre to good is generally way smaller than the price change from good to better. Since you mentioned guitars (which are a nice microcosm), one thing that has changed from the past is that manufacturing is now super consistent so when quality tracks price it does so much more closely than in the past. In the past, with guitars, you could find the "stage queen"--that one instrument that happened to be made by hands far more qualified than expected and consequently much better than expected at the price point. The cost, however, was that often at a price point you got some absolute dogs that were terrible instruments. With modern manufacturing, that doesn't really happen anymore. But, while you lose the stage queen, you gain the fact that spending $X nets you practically the same guitar at the same price over and over. This is better for the amateurs (a guitar at a price point is roughly consistent and decent) but worse for the experts ("unique" instruments that they can distinguish are nowhere near as common).