4 ms·

One rather un-obvious property of most mechanical keyboard switches made today is that the tactile feedback actually does not match the actuation point - meanin

One rather un-obvious property of most mechanical keyboard switches made today is that the tactile feedback actually does not match the actuation point - meaning, the point at which the switch "clicks" is not the same point where the PC starts registering the keypress. In fact, in e.g. Cherry MX switches, these two are handled by separate mechanisms! The only switch type where actuation == tactile feedback that I know of is buckling-spring, as in the IBM model M. This realization was a big moment of disillusionment in (most) mechanical keyboards for me :)

Aloha 4y ago
I've been laughed at by mechanical keyboard purists, but I have modern model m's on my desk for this reason.
__alexs 4y ago
There are beam spring based switches that also have this property. There are even some MX keycap compatible ones available now but I think they are all require a hall effect PCB. I guess some clicky optical switches may also behave this way?
tshaddox 4y ago
As far as I can tell, this is an intentional part of the design of the Cherry switches and is desired by many fans. It personally has never bothered me, even with Reds which don’t really have a tactical feedback point.
mumblemumble 4y ago
Personally, I like this. I've since gone linear, but, when I was a fan of tactile keys, my favorites were the ones that placed actuation just before tactile feedback. That allowed me to type much more lightly, because I only had to press enough to get to the leading edge of the tactile bump. I did once love my Model M, but it's more tiring to use than newer keyswitch designs are. Pushing enough to actuate the key means building up enough force to buckle the spring, at which point there's not really anything I can do to avoid bottoming out. It's sort of the double IPA of keyswitches: really, really, really good in small doses, but not necessarily something you want to be experiencing for 8 hours straight.
atoav 4y ago
As someone who likes linear black cherry switches this is not an issue. They have no bump. Why do I like those linear switches? Because you can mash them hard (then you need no bump because the key bottoms out and that is your definite bump) or you can type them close to inaudibly silent. Which is kind of important if you e.g. do audio recordings. Why black ones? I am a bass player, I have strong fingers and most other linear switches feel to light to me.
filoleg 4y ago
Wow, thanks for posting this. I always felt like something was off in a subtle way with most mechanical keyboards I've used, but your explanation nails it. Totally explains why I ended up settling on HHKB, which actually feels like it registers the button press right when you feel that "click" (given it is much closer to IBM Model M than to the usual mechanical switches).
- TacticalCoder 4y ago
  Same here... I'm not too sure how the Topre switches in the HHKB do work but I went from years and years on Model Ms to Topre. I'm using HHKB since so long I don't even remember when I started using them. I tried all the Cherry out there but Topre is my favorite switch by very far.
  - fomine3 4y ago
    Capacitive or optical switch are the best for this. Some keyboards like Realforce supports changing actuation point as you like.
bananabiscuit 4y ago
Same for me. The only mechanical keyboards I like are buckling spring and Topre due to exactly this.
- balefrost 4y ago
  Topre has the same fundamental issue. The rubber dome buckles at some point, but the switch is activated by the spring deforming enough to change the capacitance above the pads. Then again, in my experience, it's not an issue. The resistance curve of the rubber domes makes it hard to feel the buckle yet not activate the switch. Once it buckles, it's hard to avoid the "thock". I too like my Topre boards. But I also haven't gotten a chance to try any of the newer Cherry-style third-party switches.
keithnz 4y ago
with my blue switch keyboard, I cannot get a key to register before the "click" and cannot get a click without a key showing up (using my finger) so in a practical way, this really isn't a problem
Fnoord 4y ago
Does Wooting keyboard with Lekker switches also suffer from this?

Aloha 4y ago

I've been laughed at by mechanical keyboard purists, but I have modern model m's on my desk for this reason.

__alexs 4y ago

There are beam spring based switches that also have this property. There are even some MX keycap compatible ones available now but I think they are all require a hall effect PCB. I guess some clicky optical switches may also behave this way?

tshaddox 4y ago

As far as I can tell, this is an intentional part of the design of the Cherry switches and is desired by many fans. It personally has never bothered me, even with Reds which don’t really have a tactical feedback point.

mumblemumble 4y ago

Personally, I like this. I've since gone linear, but, when I was a fan of tactile keys, my favorites were the ones that placed actuation just before tactile feedback. That allowed me to type much more lightly, because I only had to press enough to get to the leading edge of the tactile bump. I did once love my Model M, but it's more tiring to use than newer keyswitch designs are. Pushing enough to actuate the key means building up enough force to buckle the spring, at which point there's not really anything I can do to avoid bottoming out. It's sort of the double IPA of keyswitches: really, really, really good in small doses, but not necessarily something you want to be experiencing for 8 hours straight.

atoav 4y ago

As someone who likes linear black cherry switches this is not an issue. They have no bump. Why do I like those linear switches? Because you can mash them hard (then you need no bump because the key bottoms out and that is your definite bump) or you can type them close to inaudibly silent. Which is kind of important if you e.g. do audio recordings. Why black ones? I am a bass player, I have strong fingers and most other linear switches feel to light to me.

filoleg 4y ago

Wow, thanks for posting this. I always felt like something was off in a subtle way with most mechanical keyboards I've used, but your explanation nails it. Totally explains why I ended up settling on HHKB, which actually feels like it registers the button press right when you feel that "click" (given it is much closer to IBM Model M than to the usual mechanical switches).

TacticalCoder 4y ago
Same here... I'm not too sure how the Topre switches in the HHKB do work but I went from years and years on Model Ms to Topre. I'm using HHKB since so long I don't even remember when I started using them. I tried all the Cherry out there but Topre is my favorite switch by very far.
- fomine3 4y ago
  Capacitive or optical switch are the best for this. Some keyboards like Realforce supports changing actuation point as you like.

bananabiscuit 4y ago

Same for me. The only mechanical keyboards I like are buckling spring and Topre due to exactly this.

balefrost 4y ago
Topre has the same fundamental issue. The rubber dome buckles at some point, but the switch is activated by the spring deforming enough to change the capacitance above the pads. Then again, in my experience, it's not an issue. The resistance curve of the rubber domes makes it hard to feel the buckle yet not activate the switch. Once it buckles, it's hard to avoid the "thock". I too like my Topre boards. But I also haven't gotten a chance to try any of the newer Cherry-style third-party switches.

keithnz 4y ago

with my blue switch keyboard, I cannot get a key to register before the "click" and cannot get a click without a key showing up (using my finger) so in a practical way, this really isn't a problem

Fnoord 4y ago

Does Wooting keyboard with Lekker switches also suffer from this?