In Spain, on average, we use a computer almost six hours per day. And the useful life of a laptop does not exceed seven years. If we add to that that the pandemic increased remote work and that the first thing that breaks on a computer is the keyboard (in general), it is logical to think that this should be one of the most interesting peripherals to acquire. At least while working at home. These are the advantages and disadvantages of having a mechanical keyboard.
Unlike laptop keyboards, that have rubber or silicone parts and break easily (with few or no replacement parts), mechanical keyboards found in desktop computers or that can be sold as peripherals, have a durability of 5 million keystrokes. We are talking about at least 15 years, depending on the model, although there are some who reach 40 years of lifelike the IBM Model M, which next year will precisely celebrate its four decades of life.
To this we must add that mechanical keyboards not only have a multitude of replacement parts, but can be customized with colors, drawings and any design available on the internet. Are faster and, for tasks such as video games or writing, respond more reliably. They are also much easier to clean, even if food or drink falls on them. And to clean them, a user manual or tutorial is not required, just a tweezer with which to remove each key individually.
On the other hand, mechanical keyboards are noisier: the mechanical parts constantly knock against each other. Generating that characteristic noise that many love and that others hate. Here, the choice is a very personal matter. On the other hand, taking the mechanical keyboard on a trip is not logical: it is heavy, takes up almost as much space as a laptop and, if you intend to work in public places, no matter how nostalgic we are, we cannot impose the rattling to our circumstantial neighbors.
Of course, to all this we must add a fundamental section. If we work at home, a cable may not bother us so much, but if we want to take it for a “walk” or we happen to have an aversion to cables, a mechanical keyboard as a peripheral may not be the best choice. Wireless connections reduce “responsiveness” (one of the most powerful weapons of this type of keyboard) by delaying the transfer of data from the keyboard to the screen. It’s not much, but it is noticeable, especially in the gamer section, in design or editing. When it comes to writing, not so much, but it’s still there. And to this we must Add to that that we need a battery to power the keyboard. And these have a much shorter life cycle than the keyboard itself.
As in so many other cases, the choice is very personal and depends on all the factors mentioned: place of work, weight of the peripheral, taste, possibility of travel, costs… Nobody said that finding the key would be easy.