[fizixer]

Hate to be that person, but I'm surprised people like mech keyboards. I ordered one, hated it so much, I actually decided to return it. Too loud, too much force required to type. My ideal keyboard is the low-profile laptop keyboard, especially the thinkpad one, the one before chiclet keys became a fad.

[snazz]

This is perfectly understandable—mechanical keyboards are certainly not for everyone. I’m in the same boat but for slightly different reasons (and my ideal keyboards are the ThinkPad one you described and the desktop Apple Magic Keyboard, which has a really satisfying key feel).

I think a lot of people in the mechanical keyboard community think of their keyboards as a hobby just as much as a day-to-day tool. The huge variety of key-switches and keycaps and firmwares and the much greater customization opportunities make mechanical keyboards a very good hobby. And, given the variety, it’s probably possible to find the “perfect” keyboard for everyone.

In the end, I was convincing myself that the expensive mechanical keyboard I bought was better than my ThinkPad and Mac keyboards, when I actually still prefer the laptop-style keys. Is there a mech keyboard out there somewhere that would be the perfect fit for me? I’m sure. But I don’t want to spend the time and money searching for it when my current preferred models work plenty well for me. I’d rather spend my resources in other ways.

[sascha_sl]

There's certainly not just one type of mechanical keyboard. If noise is a problem, you likely had clicky switches or just a really noisy plate / keycaps. Yes, keycaps actually really determine a lot of the noise profile. XDA/DSA keycaps are pretty quiet.

Travel distance can also be adjusted, either with o-rings that are used as spacers (that also silence the switch), low profile switches (kailh has laptop-sized switches now) or simply finding a switch on which you wouldn't bottom out (either by making them heavier or by using tactiles with a light bump).

I have a 60% board with gateron yellows (mid-weight tier linear switches). Lubed and with double o-rings on the keycaps, it's one of the quietest keyboards I've ever owned, and the travel distance is very comfortable at about half of what these switches are intended to be (around 2mm).

If you're not much for building these things yourself and doing all the research, I can always recommend the HHKB.

[GuB-42]

There are different kinds of mechanical switches. Some of them much lighter than a typical membrane keyboard, so light in fact that you may accidentally press keys without realizing it. As for noisy keyboards, again, some switches can be noisy by design but others are silent.

As for profile, the ThinkPad keyboard is rather high profile for a laptop. I don't know of any low-profile mechanical keyboard but some switches have a short travel distance, ideal for gaming and fast typing.

BTW, the ThinkPad keyboard is available standalone if you like it. You may need to buy it secondhand if you want the original though.

[vcxy]

This keyboard is clearly silly, but when it comes to normal mechanical keyboards... well, I can barely live without it now. Volume and necessary force do vary though, so what I like might not be very similar to what you didn't like.

[solarkraft]

I used to think this, but recently using a friend's long travel keyboard made me doubt my position - I typed unexpectedly quickly without any getting used to it. I suppose I'll have to try it out a bit more, but it was definitely pretty surprising to me.

[TurplePurtle]

To be honest I love "mech keyboards" not really because of the mechanical keys, but because people make them in so many customized sizes and colors. But there's not really a good term for this as far as I'm aware.