Keyboards are part of every PC. Even if there are always attempts to establish other input methods, keyboards are the standard when it comes to typing, gaming or other data entry. So it is surprising that many simply use the cheapest devices or are satisfied with what they are given at work. Because even if they look almost identical, the devices differ significantly.
In this guide, we show what types of keyboards there are and help you find the right keyboard for gaming, the office and home office.
Membrane and rubber dome keyboards
The first hurdle in keyboard selection, besides price, is deciding between a membrane or mechanical switches. Both systems have their merits and can be cheap or reasonably made.
Membrane or rubber dome keyboards have a foil with contacts underneath the keys. When the user presses a key, the circuit closes and the symbol is considered input. The advantages of rubber domes result from the type of production: They cost little to produce and do not require any complex release mechanisms, since the rubber resistors under the keys are simply a coherent mat under the keys. The keyboards work particularly quietly because the keys are almost noiseless thanks to the rubber mechanism.
However, the rubber base in rubber dome keyboards also has disadvantages: Material fatigue increasingly leads to inaccuracies when the keys are pressed. On average, the service life is only five to ten million keystrokes. Although rubber dome keyboards are cheap, they are only suitable to a limited extent for use in gaming due to their lack of precision.
