[TurboHaskal]

I had many mechanical keyboards. Blue, brown and red cherry switches, topre, you name it. I got rid of most of them and I regret having spent the dollar on such a meme piece of equipment.

Elitism and fetichism aside, the sound and key travel is just a matter of preference and at the end of the day they won't make you type faster or help with RSI (the ones with high required actuation force can actually worsen it).

I wouldn't trade my current Microsoft Sculpt for any of my previous keyboards. Both my colleagues and my wrists are glad I switched.

My recommendation is that if you are going to pay a premium for a keyboard, at least focus on ergonomic features rather than gimmicks.

[falcolas]

> at least focus on ergonomic features rather than gimmicks

FWIW, mechanical switches have helped with my own finger/wrist pain significantly, for one major reason: I don't have to bottom out the keys to make them register. The lack of a sudden stop reduces the stress put on my fingers by a significant amount over 8 hours. I can't make it through 8 hours typing on a mac chicklet keyboard, but I can with any of my mechanical keyboards (red, brown, topre, etc).

The durability of a mechanical keyboard also helps make up their up-front cost - where a rubber dome keyboard tends to only last me 6-8 months, I've yet to replace a mechanical keyboard due to key failure.

I also wouldn't underestimate the value of "personal preference" for something you use for well over 40 hours a week.

[Shorel]

I don't think the switches are gimmicks at all, but I'm with you in that ergonomics is a much more important aspect.

I have used the previous Microsoft ergonomic keyboard, and I think that a real ergonomic should be totally split, not just angled.

The perfect keyboard would be something like this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u896xlgMpH4

An UltraErgo Wireless Split Keyboard, and set it on the arm rests of a nice chair, something like the chair of the captain in the Original Star Trek Enterprise.

http://technabob.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2009/05/star_tr...

[mrweasel]

>I wouldn't trade my current Microsoft Sculpt for any of my previous keyboards.

That is a fantastic keyboard. I was starting to have wrist pains and got the Sculpt. The pain went away within days.

I would like it to have the angle between the two sides be a bit larger, so that my wrists would be completely straight. On the other hand I'm sure Microsoft have a good reason for it being at the angle it's at.

It's a very pleasant keyboard.

[distances]

Thanks for the recommendation. I love my Topre keyboard (the typing ergonomics are better than with the cheap keyboards I had before), but then again I have never before even heard of Sculpt. I'll try to keep this one in mind.