(This page will be updated as needed.)
Cherry MX family
Cherry MX black and red:
Both Cherry MX black and red are linear switches, which means the key sits on a spring without any other type of feedback. The force feedback profile is f=kx (Hooke's Law); as the user press the key further down, the more force it pushes back. Therefore, the force necessary to push the keys at first is very little, but builds up linearly. It doesn't have any tactile feedback to signal the user when the switch is activated. Thus, the key press sensation is exactly like that of pressing on a spring.
Depending on the color, the key activation force for MX red is around 40g where MX black is 55g or so. Other variants have even stiffer spring to increase the feedback force. Activation point is also around 2mm, per Cherry MX family characteristics. Since there's no tactile feedback for switch activation, the hysteresis is also very quick, enabling an user to press the keys more quickly. So, linear switches are popular with action game oriented gamers. Touch typists also might also benefit from a light activation force.
Characteristics: Springy, high speed and almost no switch sound aside from the key clacking from nails and from bottoming out.
Recommended user: Action gamers and touch typists who don't need force feedback to tell them that they have activated the key switch.
Example keyboard: Cosair K70 with Cherry MX red switches
Cherry MX blue:
This switch is the tactile and clicky type from the Cherry MX family. The design perhaps takes inspiration from the classic IBM buckling spring keyboard switch. It has a strong auditory as well as tactile feedback while a person type. However, unlike the buckling spring, which tend to have a ringing sound note, the MX blue has a strong high pitch chirp toward the end of the key stroke. The chirp is quite high pitched and may take someone by surprise.The key activation force is around 50g or so. The bulk of the force-distance curve is roughly linear except for the tactile bump portion. Activation point is around 2mm into the keystroke distance. However, it has a long hysteresis (or reset distance) before the switch can be activated again, making it unsuitable if some of the keystroke needs to be repeated. Therefore, it may not suit someone who play fast action games or a very fast touch typist.
Characteristics: Bubbly, high-pitched chirp along with a sharp, clean tactile feedback
Recommended user: Traditional typist who enjoys a little pop tactile as well as clear auditory feedback for each keystrokes.
Example keyboard: Ducky Legend with Cherry MX blue switches
Cherry MX brown:
This switch is the tactile, but non-clicky type from the Cherry MX family. Rumor has it that Kinesis (famous ergonomic keyboard maker in Washington state, US) asked and worked with Cherry to build a switch that is tactile, but not clicky like the MX blue. It was to be used in their flagship keyboard line, the Kinesis Advantage. Thus, this key switch has a gentile, quick tactile feedback, and barely makes a sound when activated.
The key activation force is around 45g or so. As with all the Cherry MX line, the primary force-distance curve shape is that of a linear spring, except for the tactile action portion. The brown switch has a very short and small peak and valley tactile reaction. The reset distance is also very close to the key activation point, which is also around 2mm. Therefore, this key switch is suitable for quick repeated key strikes if needed at a price of more likelihood of accidental reactivation. However, fast action gamers who cannot abide by the MX blue's long hysteresis will likely welcome this key switch with open arms.
Characteristics: Low keyed, whisper like voice with a brief, scratch like, but noticeable tactile feedback. Very fast reaction time to reactivation, so almost always ready to go.
Recommended user: Users who like things more subtly presented, but noticeable enough to know that things are functioning as it should. A general use switch.
Example keyboard: Das Keyboard 4 Professional Soft Tactile (with Cherry MX brown switches)
Characteristics: Low keyed, whisper like voice with a brief, scratch like, but noticeable tactile feedback. Very fast reaction time to reactivation, so almost always ready to go.
Recommended user: Users who like things more subtly presented, but noticeable enough to know that things are functioning as it should. A general use switch.
Example keyboard: Das Keyboard 4 Professional Soft Tactile (with Cherry MX brown switches)
Generic
Rubber domes:
These keyboard switches are usually made out of a large sheet of rubber, made or pressed from a die that has many of the domes and valleys already made. Since it is rubber/ soft plastic material, its characteristics are often determined by the condition when it is made. Therefore, the feels of the switch can vary from batch to batch. Now, some companies who do make excellent rubber domes switches, for example Fujitsu for some times. So, there are great rubber dome keyboards and there are bad keyboards. Very bad keyboards....
The key activation force can vary from 30g to 70g or more to get through the top, but does not activate till the switch pad makes contact, which usually means bottoming out. The force-distance curve is extremely steep in both directions over a distance around 3 to 4mm. So, the initial resistance builds up very quickly and peaks. Then, at the bottom, the dome gives out and collapses as if sucking the key from the fingertip to ensure activation.
Characteristics: Something like squeezing jello till it breaks apart. A bad rubber dome keyboard can be very mushy and uninspired while a good rubber dome are quite crisp and snappy.
Recommended user: Traditional typist who doesn't want to spend too much on a keyboard or simply likes the rubber dome. There's nothing wrong with that. Some rubber dome keyboards are rather nice. Chances are, however, no name rubber dome keyboards are made as cheap as possible. So, much of its virtues are lost because of that.
Example keyboard: Microsoft Natural Ergonomic Keyboard 4000
Scissor switches:
Scissor switches are basically rubber dome switches with a short travel and has an additional support structure to facilitate key moment in a very tight space.
Because of the shorten distance between contacts, scissor switches have some of the most extreme force-distance curve out there. Just take the rubber dome curve and compress it down 50%. That's probably what a typical scissor switch force-distance looks like. Therefore, its characteristics are very similar to rubber dome, except even more extreme. Apple's butterfly switch is a variation of a scissor switch. The scissor support is gone, but replaced by actuated butterfly arms to allow a smoother and shallower keyboard switch. Its operational principle is still rubber dome based however.
Characteristics: Just like rubber dome, except compressed into a shorter key travel distance. So, it is everything like rubber dome switches, but more exaggerated it seems. Scissor switches are often found on laptop keyboards. However, some are starting to make scissor based switch keyboard for desktop. Apple, Logitech and Microsoft each offers a few examples of such.
Recommended user: Typist who likes shorter keyboard travel distance while having more of a binary on/off, pop like keyboard operation.
Example keyboard: Microsoft Sculpted Ergonomic Keyboard
Addendum about butterfly switches:
I recently tried the butterfly switch on the Apple Macbook. My experience was rather jarring that I thought someone was pulling a prank. The butterfly switch is indeed a variation of the scissor switch, but seems more stiff and less forgiving. Some might really like it, but it wasn't working out for me. So, try it first before make any decisions.
IBM/Lexmark/Unicomp
Buckling spring:
Traditionally, the buckling spring is the standard that all switches are measured against. It is unabashedly designed for typists with potent tactile and auditory feedback. Long has IBM Model M keyboard family held as the gold standard. Later, IBM let Lexmark manufacture the keyboard and then sold the manufacturing assets to Unicomp when the patents expired. Unicomp continued the tradition while trying to adapt to the new market.The key activation force is around 60g or more. The force-distance curve has a steep slope going up and then a cliff dive when the spring buckles and then a more gentle slope till the end. As with the Cherry MX blue, it has a long reset period and distance, so the keys cannot be accidentally reactivated within a short period, which is great for typists or data entry person. The switch is relatively stiff even at the beginning and most certainly clack when the spring is bent to buckle as a slap thus it is extremely loud with long re-verb as the spring act like a string.
Characteristics: Tough, loud, unmistakably efficient and business like manner, like a drill Sargent. There is no way someone will mistake a buckling spring keyboard for anything else.
Recommended user: Traditional typists with strong hands and who values tactile and auditory feedback greatly. Also for those who enjoy the buckling spring ringing and song while typing, however, the switch will not make you new friends in an open office setting.
Example keyboard: Unicomp Ultra Classic 104
Matias (ALPS inspired)
Tactile (click switch):
Matias loved ALPS switches so much that he decided to clone them when ALPS got out of making keyboard switch market. Subsequent OEM made switches never seemed to measure up. So, Matias made their own. The Matias Tactile Clicky switch retains and emulated characteristics of the ALPS switch found in the famed Apple Extended Keyboard I. It's tactile, and clicky. It also has one of the most complex force-distance curve with multiple tactile feedbacks. Some in the community refer to them as phantom clicks. These occurs after the key activation to let user know when one is about to bottom out. Matias switches also have slightly shorter travel distance of around 3.5mm.However, one thing about the Matias switch is that they are a little wobbly and easily jitters due to design choices made. So, some people cannot stand something like as such while it doesn't matter many at all.
Characteristics: Eager, whimsical and complicated tactile feedback with clear, crisp, clap like auditory feedback with a slight ring to it.
Recommended user: Traditional or creative typists who enjoy a lively keyboard switch with a whimsical key actions. Fans of traditional Apple Extended Keyboard I.
Example keyboard: Matias Tactile Pro
Tactile Quiet (quiet click switch):
One thing that some people didn't like about the Matias tactile click switch was that it was too noisy, especially used in a creative or office environment. So, Matias went back and engineered a switch that definitively piped down the noise. Matias made clever doggy bone like dampeners built into the click switch to cushion motion impacts not only going down, but coming up as well. The result is that Matias quiet click switch is one of the quietest. It is said that this switch also takes inspiration from the Apple Extended Keyboard II design.However, as it is a sister design to the Matias click switch, one can easily see the family resemblance,. This one is just more controlled, muted and less flamboyant.
Characteristics: The quiet sister to the Matias tactile (click switch) that does everything with a bit more elegance and grace, but still unmistakably a Matias family member.
Recommended user: The same group that Matias appeals to, but needs a quieter keyboard with less wobble and jitters. Fans of traditional Apple Extended Keyboard II.
Example keyboard: Matias Ergo Pro
Topre
Topre switch (all different weighting included):
Topre switches are quite interesting. The easiest way to describe them is probably that Topre switch is basically a hybrid rubber dome switch with a conical spring. Therefore it has characteristics from both side of the houses. Because it is a capacitance switch rather than a contact switch, Topre even figured out how to make it into a pressure sensitive switch. That's pretty impressive technology for a humble switch. However, due to design, Topre switch is unlike anything else out there. It's not really a rubber dome and not really a spring based switch either. So, one really has to try it to see if it fits. The force-distance curve is relatively flat, no linear like a spring, but a flat line with little bump and valley at the beginning to represent some tactile feedback. So, there's interesting yin-yang dynamic going on here.Since it's a capacitance switch, its activation point can vary depend on the factory configuration. I have encountered keys that are very sensitive, The keys should be calibrated to be activated around 2mm or so. And it's very fast reacting with little reactivation distance as well. Again, all these items are relatively configurable, pending on the firmware and setting. Topre varies the key weighting by changing the rubber dome. The spring doesn't really provide much of the resistant force, just enough to slow the dome collapse so that the keys are not "sucked out" underneath. So, it's a really flexible arrangement to produce varying weights.
Characteristics: Zen like "push and pull, give and take" tactile sensation that is unlike anything out there, but feels strangely familiar. Typing on a keyboard with this type of switch is like practicing Tai-chi.
Recommended user: Touch typist or anyone who wants a keyboarding experience unlike anything else out there. However, one must be patient with this switch as it has a somewhat of a learning curve even though it is oddly familiar.
Example keyboard: Cooler Master NovaTouch
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