Mechanical keyboards

A mechanical keyboard has its own switch under every key.

What makes a keyboard mechanical

Wikipedia says the most common kind of keyboard made today uses a rubber dome over a thin membrane. Pressing a key squashes the dome until it closes a contact on the membrane.

A mechanical keyboard gives each key a separate switch. The switch usually has a housing, a spring and a slider. When the key goes down, two metal contacts inside the switch close.

There is no agreed definition of the term.

On a hot-swappable keyboard, the switches sit in sockets. People can pull them out and fit different ones without soldering.

Linear, tactile and clicky switches

One large switch maker sorts its switches into three kinds. Other makers have copied its colour coding.

A linear switch moves down smoothly, with no bump. A tactile switch has a bump you can feel at the point where the key registers. A clicky switch has that bump and a click you can hear as well.

The same maker says clicky switches are a poor choice for an open-plan office, because of the noise. It also makes quieter versions, with damping inside the switch.

Switches also differ in how hard you have to press, and how far the key travels before it registers. The maker publishes both for each of its switches.

UK and US layouts

Keyboards in the UK commonly follow the ISO layout. Keyboards in the US follow the ANSI layout.

On an ISO keyboard the Enter key is tall, and the left Shift key is shorter. That makes room for one more key. A UK keyboard with Windows keys has 105 keys, and the US version has 104.

The extra UK key sits next to Enter and carries the # and ~ signs. Some symbols move too. Shift and 2 gives a double quote on a UK keyboard and @ on a US one.

Keyboard sizes

A full-size keyboard has 104 to 108 keys, including a number pad. A tenkeyless keyboard, also called 80%, leaves the number pad off.

A 75% keyboard drops some of the less used navigation keys. A 60% keyboard has no function row and no navigation keys, and a 40% keyboard loses the number row as well. On the smaller sizes, the missing keys are often reached through layers or key combinations.

Setting up at a desk

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has guidance on good posture at a screen. It says the keyboard should sit just below elbow height. The screen and keyboard should be straight in front of you, so you don't twist your back.

For long spells on a laptop, HSE suggests a separate keyboard and mouse. The laptop screen can then be raised on a stand.

At work, the rules are stricter. Employers must assess the workstation of anyone who uses a screen every day for an hour or more at a time.

When a keyboard is faulty

A keyboard you buy from a business must be of satisfactory quality and match its description. If you tell the seller what you need it for, it must be reasonably fit for that purpose.

If it is faulty, you have 30 days to reject it. This is the short-term right to reject. You can also require the seller to repair or replace it. The seller must then do so within a reasonable time and pay the costs.

A fault that appears within six months of delivery is treated as having been there from the start. That holds unless the seller shows otherwise.

You can usually cancel an online order within 14 days of delivery. That right does not cover goods made to your specifications or clearly personalised. A keyboard built to your own choice of parts may fall under that, so check with the seller before you order.

Getting rid of an old keyboard

A keyboard is electrical equipment. GOV.UK says this kind of waste needs to be kept apart from other waste. A shop that sells you a new keyboard must give you a way to dispose of your old one. That applies whether you buy in a shop or online.

Where the shop takes items back in store, it must give you at least 28 days to bring yours in, and it must not charge for this.

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