There’s something infinitely pleasing about the clickety-clack sound of a well-made mechanical keyboard. Some would probably describe the sound mechanical keyboards make as akin to an ASMR experience. And the result of that is higher levels of productivity and, crucially, fewer mistakes. I’m definitely a better typist since I started using mechanical keyboards. The sound (which I’ll get onto in a moment) and the sponginess of the key travel becomes pretty addictive after a while, and while you will indeed make plenty of mistakes to start with, you’ll slowly raise your typing ability without even realising it. Once you get over that initial mechanical keyboard weirdness, you’ll become a better typist, and you’ll even grow to love it. Stick with it – because there are some serious upsides. You can’t be a lazy typist like I am each keystroke needs to be measured, accurate and fluid.īut don’t let that put you off. This demands a different typing style and plenty of patience as you get used to it. The key travel on mechanical keyboards, although different from model to model, is significant compared to a laptop keyboard or Apple Magic Keyboard. That’s the biggest difference you’ll notice, to be honest. This is particularly the case if you’ve been using an Apple (or similar) keyboard with relatively limited key travel. You may even dislike that initial experience. If you grab yourself a mechanical keyboard after reading this, it will feel odd to type on. If that sounds like you and, like me, you’ve been tempted, here’s what I’ve discovered while using them with my 27” iMac and M1 Mac mini. So, what follows is a complete novice’s experience of mechanical keyboards. I haven’t read up on the different types of switches, nor do I have much of an interest in their inner workings. And I’ve been conscious for quite some time that the type of keyboard you use can have a significant impact on your ability to type quickly and, crucially, enjoy the process of getting words down.Ī disclaimer: I know nothing about mechanical keyboards. Which was pretty special.īut, these days, I do a lot of typing. They also remind me, somewhat wonderfully, of the Amiga 500 I had as a kid. You could argue that Apple’s keyboards are mechanical keyboards, too, but there seems to be a general acceptance that the term is best used to describe third-party devices.įor me (and, I suspect, many others), mechanical keyboards remind me of the keyboards we used to use at school those great, big hulking grey devices which clicked and clacked in IT classes and had what seemed like bottom-less key travel. PCMag defines mechanical keyboards as physical keyboards which use “an individual spring and switch for each key”.

Apple magic keyboard 2