Keyboard Types

The keyboard is one of the most important accessories for a computer, because it is with its help that the device is controlled. This is not only the ability to enter text, but also the use of other useful buttons that make the operation of the computer faster and more comfortable. In addition, no gamer can do without a high-quality and comfortable keyboard - in most games it is much more convenient to use them than a mouse.

A huge number of different models are presented on the modern market, which can be difficult for a beginner to understand. For example, few users know the difference between a membrane type of a device and a mechanical one, and what this generally means.

In order to purchase an accessory that is ideal for you, you need to carefully study all types of keyboards for computers and their essential characteristics. It is important to understand that any model is designed for a specific purpose and has its own advantages and disadvantages, so it is difficult to answer the question of which keyboard is better. It all depends on your needs.

And how to determine the most suitable model and what you should pay attention to first of all, you will learn in this article.

Keyboard Feature

Devices differ from each other in a variety of ways. In addition, there are universal parameters with which you can make predictions about whether it will be convenient for you to use the device and after what time you will need to replace it with a more advanced model.

In most cases, when buying a keyboard, experienced users pay attention to the type of production, response speed, softness, and appearance.

If everything is clear with the response time and tactile sensations, then the type of production of the device can cause some difficulties when choosing. What is a membrane or mechanical keyboard? How do they differ from each other? Let us consider this characteristic in more detail, and also reveal the differences between the two types of devices, which are very significant.

Keyboard Types

In the modern market, three main types of keyboards are provided - mechanical, membrane, and scissor keyboards. They all differ in a variety of ways: from price to destination.

The classification is based on the technology by which the device was manufactured.

Membrane

Inside the membrane keyboards there are special membranes, with the help of which the signal is transmitted to the computer. These membranes, squeezed, close the contacts.

Of the advantages of such devices, one can distinguish their extremely low cost and prevalence - they can be found in any specialized store, which cannot be said about some more expensive branded models.

But unfortunately, there are significant disadvantages. The service life of the membrane keyboard is limited - this is due to the fact that the membranes lose their elasticity. Surely many are familiar with the feeling that some keys are pressed more “gently” - these are the buttons that you used most often. Over time, the contacts will completely cease to be closed, which will lead to the need to purchase a new device.

In addition, there is a fairly low response speed for such keyboards. This is explained very simply - their response threshold is located at the very bottom, in contrast to more advanced mechanical devices, where this threshold is approximately halfway down. Loud “clicks” are also different when using such an accessory. Pressing is rarely soft and virtually silent.

Scissor

The internal structure of these models makes them ideal for those who often have to type large amounts of text at fast speed. The main advantage will be that the key will work regardless of where it was pressed - sideways or in the middle of the button, as well as the response threshold is very high.

With such a keyboard, your fingers will simply fly, quickly and clearly typing, if you can quickly type or want to learn how to do this in the near future.

In addition, the life of scissor devices is at least two times longer than membrane ones. Most manufacturers claim a figure of 10 million clicks, when for the first type it is only about five. This is about a little over a year of use. Even despite the relative cheapness of membrane keyboards, buying them every year is hardly reasonable.

The clarity of pressing is also accompanied by very pleasant tactile sensations from the use of scissor devices. They owe their name to the built-in mechanism, which is very similar to ordinary scissors.

Despite all the advantages, you won’t be able to completely get rid of pressed keys with this type of keyboard. Of course, compared with the membrane version, the service life is much longer, but in the end you still have to face the fact that at the end of this time it will not be too comfortable to use the device.

Mechanical

The mechanical type is considered to be one of the best options for purchase. The only thing that can confuse a potential buyer is the very high cost of such devices.

This technology, oddly enough, is the oldest. Its essence is that instead of membranes, special switches are used inside. A huge number of different models of these switches are presented on the modern market, which allows the user to choose the ideal keyboard for their characteristics.

This option will surely suit everyone - both ordinary office workers and professional gamers - the speed of response allows it to be used for any purpose. The tactile sensations also differ when pressed - in this case, you can feel the difference yourself by pressing the soft key once, which transmits a signal to the computer instantly.

Another advantage will be a long service life - keyboards are designed for at least fifty million clicks, which is several times higher than the same figure for other types of devices. In addition, pushing through the keys is excluded and even by the end of this period the tactile sensations and response speed will be exactly the same as at the beginning of the work.

IMPORTANT! If you don’t like the loud sound when you press the keys, then you should look for a “quiet device” - mechanical keyboards are often available in two versions at once, one of which has a minimum click volume.

What should be the arrangement of letters and numbers

An important point is also the keyboard layout.

In this case, Russian-speaking users do not have a very large choice: the difference between the two existing layouts is only in the location of one letter E. It can be either in the upper left corner or in the lower left corner.

The most common is the first option due to the fact that it seems more convenient. But the second type of layout is found - most often in organizations where computers have become an alternative to typewriters.

It is worth paying attention also to where the letter designations are. It is important that they are in the lower right corner of each key and are highlighted in red - this way the user will not constantly confuse Russian letters with the Latin alphabet.

The order of letters and numbers is the same in most cases, and the cases when there are any differences, except for the letter ё already mentioned above, are very rare and usually occur exclusively in limited and not very popular collections of narrow manufacturers.

This type of layout appeared a long time ago and does not lose its relevance to this day, so there is no question that someone was going to change it.

Now you know what kind of keyboards are, what distinguishes each of their appearance from each other and what significant features they have. Undoubtedly, a mechanical type of production device will be an ideal and universal option - this is the device that has more advantages than disadvantages. But despite this, the decision is yours - only the user can decide which parameter or indicator of the keyboard will be more significant for him. Knowing all the intricacies of the internal device, you can buy an accessory that will delight you for a long time.