I don't know anything about the mechanical ones. So I was wondering if buying one was worth the price.
lol, we know nothing about you or your use case. For me, yes it is worth the price. Tell us more, we might tell you more
You get to choose the type of switch depending on the keyboard you get and/or the options for it. ie strength of spring (how hard you need to push) Actuation distance before a key press is registered and total distance the key will travel before hitting the end stop. Whether it makes a noise and how loud it is Whether is gives a click you can feel and how strong that is I'm currently using a G.Skill KM780 RGB with Cherry brown switches. This is supposed to be pretty quiet and average click + noise + spring strength. But in use this keyboard its the loudest I ever heard due to the keyboard design amplifying every clack, and this is after applying double O'rings to quieten it lol!! I tried the same Cherry Brown switches on a Corsair keyboard and it was a much better experience. Both give a positive typing experience. fyi I also have the new K100 RGB with Optical switches and only 1mm actuation distance, no feedback until you hit the endstop (ie no key click). This is awesome, a lovely feel/sound. Very good if you like to type fast. As Asiju says, you need to try one to be sure of what you like or want to spend money on.
There be a small story ... I ordered one for my Dad for Xmas (for a new video editing machine) and was supposed to deliver it to him (over a long distance) and disappear quickly. But due to the new covid variants it wasnt sensible to even do that, and I hate Couriering from my house in case they get "lost". So I decided to keep it and buy another for my Dad, sent direct to him. This way if there is a problem its resolved immediately without any aggravation. And I get a better keyboard. He got it today, havent heard from him about it yet. Its his first mechanical too.
I have a small tidy Ducky SF, with brown switches for a bit of quiet. It's still quite noisy but it's bought for gaming and responds well. The small format allows you mouse and keyboard to be closer together in front of you. It has no number keys It has pretty lights but it's usually just on bright white now days Ducky One 2 SF mechanical keyboard - Small yet Complete, SF means Sixty-Five, we bring the groundbreaking size for customers' choice (duckychannel.com.tw)
The Ducky one looks pretty cool. Not having a number pad would be too weird for me. So, cherry key switches seem the way to go when looking for one.
Ducky has versions with numpads, got this one atm: https://www.duckychannel.com.tw/en/Ducky-One2-White-LED
None of them need more than USB 2.0 but they can connect to any USB port with the right adapter. There are USB feed through ports on some keyboards where they have a second USB plug on the end of the cable to plug into the computer. This provides a USB port on the back of the keyboard to plug a mouse in or other USB device. Passthrough USB isnt USB 3.0 on any keyboard I have seen, only USB 2.0, even when plugged into a USB 3.0 port on the computer. ie pass through USB gives you a USB 2.0 port on the back of the keyboard. BUT I have a USB pen and wanted to use it between 2 computers like this last night. The USB pen isnt registered at all on either computer when connected through the keyboards USB port. If the keyboard had a USB "HUB" built in it would likely work ok but I dont think any do. fyi ps I think USB type C on a keyboard allows it to be used on phones and other small gadgets.
I use USB 3 for my mouse, but it's probably a bit overkill. Type-C is mostly used as a power charger or fast data transfer.
Only needed if you want polling rate beyond 1000Hz, which barely any device supports (but it will show up eventually, USB 3 should able to do 8Khz).
I just spoke to him and he loves it. He only types with a single finger, from the days when typewriters needed beating into submission lol. But he is learning he can type a lot faster by very lightly touching these keys due to the 1mm travel before the optical switches register. And its so robust, even if he continues to slam the keys, it wont get damaged. Membrane keyboards suffer death this way. He also likes the K100's video forward/reverse wind controller and the lighting.
Hhmm. I'd have to try one before hand to see if it fits to how I type and use the keyboard. That might be difficult. They are not exactly cheap either.
In my country, you can purchase anything, and if you do not like it, have it returned within 14 days and get your money back.
