Mechanical Keyboard Sound Isn't That Simple
Figure 1: I couldn't think of a more literal way to represent this article if I tried... Looking back just a few years ago, there’s no doubt that the huge influx of people that joined the hobby at the peak of the COVID pandemic were drawn to keyboards by way of YouTube, TikTok, and other audio-visual content platforms. Even as the output from these content creators has waned in recent months, their collective impact and legacy on the keyboard hobby is rather firmly etched in the history books. As a result of all of their sound tests, build logs, and opinion videos, the message is clear to any new person joining the hobby: mechanical keyboards are all about the sound. Thock this, clack that. Whether it’s keyboards, keycaps, or even singular switches, seemingly everyone new to the hobby meticulously pores over each component of their keyboard not in an attempt to figure out how it will feel in hand, but how it will sound as they’re furiously grinding their way out from...
Mar 27, 2024
More centered position: It allows me to keep my hands and the keyboard more centered. I hate having my hands shifted over to the left or having my hands centered when typing but my right hand way to the right when using the mouse. I find that even with standard TKL (80%) I frequently end up bumping my mouse against my keyboard (happens a lot more frequently when playing games).
Arrow keys: I've tried both poker and kbp v60 and I just prefer having dedicated arrow keys instead having it in the fn layer. Moving my right hand to the arrow cluster isn't a problem for me (and the distance is shorter on a 75% board) though I can understand that some people prefer to keep their hands on the home row as much as possible.
Function row: I like my function keys and print screen, and I like being able to hit every one of them with one hand while the other hand is on the mouse. The programs I use have enough function keybinds that I prefer dedicated keys for that entire row instead of putting it in the fn layer of the number row.
A sub point is that it gives enough space for the usb port to be on the underside with grooves for cable pathing options (I assume that space is the reason why I don't see many (or any?) 60% boards with the usb connection on the underside). I dislike having a stiff usb connector stick straight out of the keyboard, and it seems a lot more vulnerable to accidentally getting bent or messed with. Additionally, depending on your desk setup the space saved by removing the function row is also somewhat diminished when the usb cable stick straight out of the top. For example, I can't move my keyboard all the way up my desk since the protruding usb connector can get in the way.
Key caps: This is both a pro and a con for me. The right shift will most likely be a non standard size in a 75% and the profiles probably won't match for some of the keys on the right edge (insert/delete/home/end/pgup/pgdown).
On the other hand I can put more keycaps on my board and it makes me feel less guilty about buying those keycaps in the first place (since more of them get used).
Really wished there were more readily available 75% options besides keycool and mk 84. The ones I've tried all have really rattly/loud stabilizers.
Not sure what Leopold is doing differently. The stabilized keys on the Leopold boards I've owned don't have any issues with metal rattling noises or even mushiness.