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[–] Stavon 0 points 3 points (+3|-0) ago 

Most keyboards are partly mechanical. All except touch screen keyboards and keyboards with touchscreen like switches.

On some other site there once was a seperate sub for mechanical keyboards, likely because the keyboards sub was taken by someone or some group not willing to share with or hand over to some special person who likes keyboards a lot.

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[–] tokyorock ago  (edited ago)

On some other site

Holy hell dude, it's okay to say the word "Reddit." And /r/mechanicalkeyboards was more of a spawn of Ripster's "personality" than the result of an exodus from /r/keyboards.

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[–] 4 ago 

Hey /u/DrEmpyrean!

At most keyboard enthusiast websites, all keyboards are welcome and open for discussion, etc. If you're referring to the name discrepancy between /r/Keyboards and /r/MechanicalKeyboards, then there's some history behind Ripster's decision to use /r/MechanicalKeyboards instead. Namely, /r/Keyboards was taken. Here at /v/Keyboards, we carry the same philosophy that all keyboards are welcome, mechanical or not, so there's no need to differentiate between /v/MechanicalKeyboards and /v/Keyboards.

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[–] DrEmpyrean [S] 0 points 1 point (+1|-0) ago 

Okay thanks, Im looking forward to becoming a contributing member of this community. In the last few months I have started and gotten 5 mechanical keyboards and one custom key-cap set.

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[–] 4 ago 

Great! I'd love to see what you got!

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[–] BuyANexus 0 points 4 points (+4|-0) ago 

Here's a reply I wrote in Reddit:

There used to be a time when under every key was a separate spring, making the famous click noise. Those were called buckling spring keyboards and the most well-known one was IBM Model M.

However, in this consumer-driven market, a much cheaper method was discovered, where the whole circuitry of the board was printed on a membrane, and under every key, instead of a spring, there was a little rubber pillow, called rubber dome. They were cheaper, but with tradeoffs such as a mushier feeling and faster decay.

Enthusiasts still enjoyed the feel of Model M, so, seeing the growing trend, many companies have released mechanical keyboards, such as DasKeyboard, Ducky, Filco and, more well-known, Razer, CoolerMaster, Corsair and Logitech.

I will copy-paste a reply I wrote some time ago, to explain how they are better than rubber domes.

1) Consistency. Even though the sound is what most people associate with mechanical keyboards, even though it is present only in certain switches, for me it is the feel. Every keypress feels and behaves the same way, even after 50 million keypresses. Unlike rubber domes, which get mushy after a time. That is huge. That means that you can type faster, double-tap in games faster (there's a reason why most Starcraft and Osu players use mechanical keyboards).

2) Variety. If you like your keyboard to click and clack like a typewriter and feel like you're pushing bubble-wrap, MX Blue is awesome. If you like the tactility of rubber dome, but the consistency of mechanical switches, without the noise of MX Blue, then MX Brown is what you're looking for. But if you like your keypresses without any extra feels, just going straight to the bottom, then linear switch like MX Red is the business - they literally feel like a cloud of boobs. And if you want eiter of these switches, but with a bit stronger spring, then they offer an extra-strong version of each, MX Green/MX Clear/MX Black. These are just Cherry switches. I haven't yet explored the uncharted worlds of Topre, Alps, Matias, so there is much more to explore! Remember, there IS no perfect switch, only the switch that is perfect for YOU! ©Ripster

3) Customizing. You can buy custom keycaps, keycap sets, cases, wristrests and cables for your keyboard, at varying pricepoints. It can be a cheap set of PBT blanks from China for 10$, and it can be a single custom-made hand-mold keycap for 300$ (that IMHO is overpriced though...) Screw it, you can build your own keyboard! You can go to /r/MechanicalKeyboards and see some of the awesome examples of what I'm talking about. In the meantime, here's mine - https://imgur.com/a/UKe8G

4) You can be MacGyver and repair your keyboard yourself, even if you have only basic skills at soldering. Maintaining a mechanical keyboard is much cheaper in the long run, despite the relatively high initial cost (doesn't this sound familiar, anyone?) than buying a new rubber dome every time the membrane goes awry or some other stuff happens. Cleaning my keyboard is almost like a ritual now, to which I devote an hour or two to clean all three of my precious loved ones, gently and slowly.

5) And mechanical keyboard isn't as expensive as you might think. Just follow this guide - /r/MechanicalKeyboards/wiki/buying_guide - and you'll find a keyboard for any price bracket. For example, Cooler Master Quickfire Rapid for 80$ - it isn't that expensive, now is it?

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[–] MarcoZ ago 

Well, Cherry has been around way before the Model M, making switches and keyboards since the 60s i think. The spike in interest in mechanicals has certainly aided them to the point they're always short on supplies, but they've always been there.