Where is mechanical keyboard going?
I will check some points to this. Percentage means possible to move for these proint as my thinking.
FR4 (60%) - Now quite many vendors use a FR4 Material board. I think it is not absoute.
But anyway it may hep improve of PCB's durablility and it provide more clean key felling. it may increase original cost some. But difrrence is not a big.
Aluminium body (10%) - Except indurstail alumnium frame body keyboard, it may started from Korea. it shows anyway finest material feeling and natural color. Of cousre, it is quite expensive than other material's housing. You can see detail information to our TypeNow Solid in detail. Antoher importan part of metal body keyboard is key felling. User can feel solidness and clean key felling but it may cause some shockness to type. Personally, I tunned up all things on aluminium body keyboard, keyfeelling is so far so good. But other peoples opinion can be diffrent.
Anyway, I listended Taiwan people started to make aluminium body keyboard. Althoug it is quite difficult to make a mass quantity, it is possible to be released another ready made aluminum keyboard to user.
PBT keycap (20%) - Already Taiwan vendor start making PBT keycap as mass quantity. We can see it on Ducky or Poker X keyboard or as other acessories keycap set. Do you typed keycap that made of PBT? it is some expensive, but keycap feeling is quite good. You can find a some falut on new PBT keycap, but I think it is best choice unitil now.
On a PBT keycap, problem is making cost. It may smilliar to make a tooling for whole housing of keyboard or even over somewhat than make a keyboard housing. Some people prefer Cherry's old keycap. Although i agree old cherries keycap is not a bad, it is no perpefct solution to keycap. I have been using old cherry keycap to Majestouch keyboard, It's not comfortable than normal height keycap like a Majestouch or other keyboard.
Anyway it is quite difficult to be usde a PBT keycap to all mechanical keyboards. But it seems some costed down if mechanical keyboard with PBT Keycap sells more and more or other vendor make a new PBT keyboard keycap as new tooloing. :)
Coloring keycap (50%) - World of keyboard fan is quite narrow. Coloring keycap is just visiual acesssories for keyboard. But, many keyboard fans like it. We already know many color keycaps are selling in China.
More and more coloring can be introduce to over the world keyboard fans as keycap set. Althoug many people are interested in it, it seems not easy these color keycap be installed to keyboard. It is issue on cost and how to set up color scheme naturally.
I think vendors consider to make a more advanced and sophiscated color setting to keycaps.
I checked some points. Anyway, Mechnical keyboard looks a quite conservative but it be changed bit by bit.
from David Han, Korea
