4 ms·

Am I the only one who prefers the most pleb membrane keyboards over anything mechanical? I already type super quickly on, say, a 2015 MacBook Pro, a default 201

Am I the only one who prefers the most pleb membrane keyboards over anything mechanical? I already type super quickly on, say, a 2015 MacBook Pro, a default 2010 Apple external KB, or a $5 Logitech. There's just enough feedback to know that I pressed the key, it takes very little force, and I can glide my fingers around really quickly. I don't even bother with cleaning cause the oiliness makes it faster if anything. I've tried several mech keyboards. The longer key travel doesn't seem to improve speed, and I don't see how it would. Also most of them come with the concave key caps for some reason, which of course you can switch out, but I feel like any amount I spend fixing one would still result in something worse than what I already have.

vladvasiliu 4y ago
For me, it's not so much a question of speed, but one of comfort. The longer key travel helps with avoiding bottoming out once you're used to your keyboard. On a short-travel keyboard, where keys are basically "either fully up or down", I don't think it's easy, or even possible, to not bottom-out. This also allows keys to not need so much force for actuation. Whenever I switch from my mechanical keyboard to my 2013 MBP or HP laptop (with a similar kb) I always miss letters because I don't press hard enough. I honestly don't know whether I type quicker or slower on a mechanical keyboard. But speed has never been a limiting factor in my work.
- laserlight 4y ago
  While I was using MBP keyboard, I used to think that shorter key travel was better and more ergonomic, because it required less finger movement. After using mechanical keyboards for years, I’m very surprised to discover how much strain bottoming out puts on my muscles.
LoganDark 4y ago
I also hate keyboards with a lot of key travel. It feels like I sink into the keyboard and then catch on the surrounding keys when trying to move. The 2015 MBP keyboard was peak keyboard to me. Not only can I not find any PC keyboards with the same feel, I also can't find any PC keyboards with the correct layout.
- laserlight 4y ago
  Key travel is separate from actuation distance. In most mechanical key switches, actuation distance is very short compared to travel. So, the typist doesn’t have to dig deep or bottom out. Hitting only as far as actuation distance requires training, of course. As someone who like MBP keyboards, I prefer mechanical ones.
- vladvasiliu 4y ago
  I don't know what the "correct layout" is for you, but I've found that the MS Sculpt Ergo has a very similar key feel to my 2013 MBP, which, I think, has the same keyboard as the 2015.
  - hot_gril 4y ago
    Volume keys on the top right? :)
    - vladvasiliu 4y ago
      Those are on the top right on the sculpt, but not the other media controls. It also doesn't have an Fn key, you need to toggle a physical switch to change the row between F1-12 and the shortcuts.
richdaystrom 4y ago
My favorite keyboard of all time is the one that came with the Atari 400, so to answer your question, no you are not the only one.
vr46 4y ago
The weird thing about key travel to me is that the keyboard isn't an instrument, there's no control or finesse required, it's binary - you want the character or not. When playing an instrument like a piano, you want the level of control (assuming you play better than I do) so long travel makes sense. If playing a guitar at speed, economy of movement is key to accuracy at high speeds - (a) strings should not be any further away from the frets than is required, (b) fingers should not lift any further away than is required, (c) pick should not move miles and miles but just enough to make the required sound. I enjoy typing on clicky keyboards like my Keychron, but I gotta say, the flawed MBP keyboards of recent times with hardly any travel were amazing. I'm on a 2019 MBP 16 now and it's not as good as the previous one, and the new 2021 MBP isn't much better either.
- hot_gril 4y ago
  Ignoring the unreliability and lack of esc key, I liked the tiny travel on the 2016-2018 MBPs, but I didn't like how crowded the keys were. In fact that part seemed objectively bad: The surface area they added does nothing but increase the chance of mistyping, since any reasonably-sized finger hitting the edge of those keys would hit an adjacent key too.
Gatsky 4y ago
I’m the same I guess. I’ve tried a couple of mechs, and now my daily driver is the MS sculpt ergo. I’m happy on a macbook kb, or the cheap membrane kb I have to use at work. The mechs just didn’t have a material advantage for me, and I didn’t like the feel.
RamblingCTO 4y ago
I felt the same and loved the stock macbook keyboards. Now I have a keychron k7, which is "slim" for mechanical keyboards and that's what I prefer. I still don't like proper mechanical keyboards with full height. Feels weird to me. Whatever floats your boat I guess!

vladvasiliu 4y ago

For me, it's not so much a question of speed, but one of comfort. The longer key travel helps with avoiding bottoming out once you're used to your keyboard. On a short-travel keyboard, where keys are basically "either fully up or down", I don't think it's easy, or even possible, to not bottom-out. This also allows keys to not need so much force for actuation. Whenever I switch from my mechanical keyboard to my 2013 MBP or HP laptop (with a similar kb) I always miss letters because I don't press hard enough. I honestly don't know whether I type quicker or slower on a mechanical keyboard. But speed has never been a limiting factor in my work.

laserlight 4y ago
While I was using MBP keyboard, I used to think that shorter key travel was better and more ergonomic, because it required less finger movement. After using mechanical keyboards for years, I’m very surprised to discover how much strain bottoming out puts on my muscles.

LoganDark 4y ago

I also hate keyboards with a lot of key travel. It feels like I sink into the keyboard and then catch on the surrounding keys when trying to move. The 2015 MBP keyboard was peak keyboard to me. Not only can I not find any PC keyboards with the same feel, I also can't find any PC keyboards with the correct layout.

laserlight 4y ago
Key travel is separate from actuation distance. In most mechanical key switches, actuation distance is very short compared to travel. So, the typist doesn’t have to dig deep or bottom out. Hitting only as far as actuation distance requires training, of course. As someone who like MBP keyboards, I prefer mechanical ones.
vladvasiliu 4y ago
I don't know what the "correct layout" is for you, but I've found that the MS Sculpt Ergo has a very similar key feel to my 2013 MBP, which, I think, has the same keyboard as the 2015.
- hot_gril 4y ago
  Volume keys on the top right? :)
  - vladvasiliu 4y ago
    Those are on the top right on the sculpt, but not the other media controls. It also doesn't have an Fn key, you need to toggle a physical switch to change the row between F1-12 and the shortcuts.

richdaystrom 4y ago

My favorite keyboard of all time is the one that came with the Atari 400, so to answer your question, no you are not the only one.

vr46 4y ago

The weird thing about key travel to me is that the keyboard isn't an instrument, there's no control or finesse required, it's binary - you want the character or not. When playing an instrument like a piano, you want the level of control (assuming you play better than I do) so long travel makes sense. If playing a guitar at speed, economy of movement is key to accuracy at high speeds - (a) strings should not be any further away from the frets than is required, (b) fingers should not lift any further away than is required, (c) pick should not move miles and miles but just enough to make the required sound. I enjoy typing on clicky keyboards like my Keychron, but I gotta say, the flawed MBP keyboards of recent times with hardly any travel were amazing. I'm on a 2019 MBP 16 now and it's not as good as the previous one, and the new 2021 MBP isn't much better either.

hot_gril 4y ago
Ignoring the unreliability and lack of esc key, I liked the tiny travel on the 2016-2018 MBPs, but I didn't like how crowded the keys were. In fact that part seemed objectively bad: The surface area they added does nothing but increase the chance of mistyping, since any reasonably-sized finger hitting the edge of those keys would hit an adjacent key too.

Gatsky 4y ago

I’m the same I guess. I’ve tried a couple of mechs, and now my daily driver is the MS sculpt ergo. I’m happy on a macbook kb, or the cheap membrane kb I have to use at work. The mechs just didn’t have a material advantage for me, and I didn’t like the feel.

RamblingCTO 4y ago

I felt the same and loved the stock macbook keyboards. Now I have a keychron k7, which is "slim" for mechanical keyboards and that's what I prefer. I still don't like proper mechanical keyboards with full height. Feels weird to me. Whatever floats your boat I guess!