After three years of working remotely, I finally invested in a proper standing desk, monitor, mouse, mechanical keyboard, and ergonomic office chair. Up until now, I was just working on the couch or at the kitchen table.
The biggest benefit is that I actually have way less back pain working in an ergonomic environment. It’s wonderful. And one key component of the setup got me thinking about another thing:
I got a nuphy air96 keyboard “for the looks” and I had no idea how wonderful it would be to type on compared to every laptop or membrane keyboard I’ve ever used.
With the low profile red switches it came with, each key press is so smooth and accurate. If you have never used one before, a mechanical keyboard with linear switches feels almost like typing on Sanwa or Seimitsu arcade buttons. And the fact you can change the switches to give it a different (but still high quality) feel is really cool. I intend to check out some of the other switches they sell.
It got me to realize that I don’t dislike the keyboard as a gaming input device as much as I thought. I just felt non-mechanical ones were lacking in accuracy and feedback.
I definitely want to revisit some PC games with a mouse/keyboard now. I feel like I never really gave them a fair shot.
I just felt like sharing this - I did not anticipate just how big of an upgrade this would be. I always thought people who preferred mechanical keyboards were being kinda dramatic about the difference. But it’s legit.
I have some friends that I DO think are a little dramatic about them… but so am I about CRTs and lag!
I have one with “quiet” switches for the office (clicking loudly in public seems extremely rude!) but I went all the way to an old IBM Model M for my home setup.
I think a lot of us that might be into retro stuff could be… older. So our experience on PCs playing Doom and Quake were on old responsive and tactile feeling keyboards. Then some of our work experience was on trash membrane keyboards.
Turns out the PC people were right the entire time about nice desks, nice monitors, nice chairs, and nice keyboards!!
I’ve been using a Dell mechanical keyboard that came with my Dell system from the “Dude, you got a Dell!” days ~2002. It’s still my main keyboard (with Radio Shack PS/2 to USB adapter lol). I’ve also used a mechanical keyboard at work for the last 17 years. It’s funny how things that are old or perceived as inferior come back around (general comment, not on your thread, Peltz).
I got a membrane one for WFH during Covid that I’m typing on now and I think I’m going to swap it out. I kind of want a Dreamcast keyboard. (edit, oof the Raphnet adapter is $30+ s/h/tax alone. Hmm, other options it looks like!)
I used to swear by a mechanical keyboard but after getting a ThinkPad I haven’t really used mine. I’m surprised by how much tactile feedback I get from a keyboard with just 1.35mm of travel, it feels deeper than laptop keyboards with 2mm of travel. I think it’s the way they engineer the bounce of the keys, and the sound they make certainly plays a role.
Mechanical keyboards are great, though! If I was playing a PC game that’s heavily dependent on keyboard keys I would dig out mine, for sure.
(edit, oof the Raphnet adapter is $30+ s/h/tax alone. Hmm, other options it looks like!)