A Beginner's Guide to Switches (opens in new tab)

This, typically I'm in favor of using the actual title from the linked site, but in this case it needs some context.

Yeah, my initial reaction was: "Oh, _that_ kind of switches!" I was looking for the part where MAC-addresses and VLAN's were explained ;-)

If you keep to the middle ground, it's not too bad. My journey started by ordering an inexpensive switch testing set with a bunch of Cherry/Gateron switch types, using it as a fidget toy around the desk for a few months, and concluding I liked the Cherry MX clear switches the most (no loud clicking sound, bit more actuating force, easier to feel actuating force than browns).

Result: got a WASD keyboard with clear switches in 2017 and have had no issues since, no sign of any wear, and little need to go down the endless rabbit hole. You're right though, the market for rabbit-holers has somewhat exploded.

I thought it was about electrical switches. Even the first paragraph didn't help me disambiguate.

Nintendo switches lol

For a current day overview of mechanical keyboard switches I don't think buckling-spring is that relevant. Deskthority probably has pages for it though.

Membrane "switches" have a pretty high actuation force all things considered (40-100g+), which is what the older MS keyboards use. There are plenty of mechanical switches that require less force to actuate, and Hall Effect switches can even have an adaptable activation point.

Microsoft Ergonomic prevented RSI not because of keys, but because of the front raiser bar. It allowed wrists to be more line up with hands, which prevented damage to the nerves in the wrist joint which is really RSI. I wish more keyboards had this feature.

i developed rsi pretty bad in like 2018 and went all in with an ergodox and it didnt help really. true ergo + better posture and actual breaks (and some time off) is the only thing that worked for me

but i will say split keyboard is very nice but ortholinear seemed to reintroduce some strains

i use a normal keyboard with good floating hand posture when typing a lot w no issues these days

Yeah, I've always wondered if there's any basis for the idea that mechanical keyboards prevent RSI. This article doesn't help -- it says that the mechanism by which mechanical keyboards prevent RSI is "hard to explain without getting too technical" and then stumbles over some strange "gym mat" analogy that made no sense t ome.

carpal tunell is 2015 news or so bottleneck is thinking not typing in programming

You may have a hot-swap style keyboard. The switches are designed to pull out easily in order to change switch types.

I preferred kv-300h for a long time, but recently got recommended lofree flow (underrepresented low profile stock niche). Now thinking about it sometimes. High-profile feels like a lot of work for fingers, unless you learn to avoid bottom-out. Gosh, even thinking about all these mkb nuances again makes me want to just kv-300h.

You mean Membran Keyboards? While there are membrane keyboards which feel half decent when new, they degrade very fast and especially uneven depending on key usage

Thus I generally dislike them

Chiclet like the Apple one? I could never get used to its extremely shallow feel. But I do agree that mechanical isn’t necessarily better than alternatives.

Another semi recent one were optical switches (uses a tiny laser for when to actuate, lowest latency).

Hall Effect is the one that's probably going to stay longer, due to the possibility of changing the actuation point to your liking.

Hall effect switches are more like the old hotness that fell out of style and is now viable again among the niche of people willing to pay high prices for keyboards.