How does my first mechanical keyboard work?
By: Binlong Li
Tags: Review, Tools, Productivity, Mechanical Keyboards, Developer

Where to buy it?

Mechanical keyboards are sold almost everywhere, Amazon, Bestbuy, Newegg, even Walmart. But Ducky One is only sold from Mechanical Keyboard Catalog and Guide. (mechanicalkeyboards.com). For an unknown reason, most of the keyboards there are out-of-stock. Maybe people are so bored or so lonely at home, they all want to make noises. So they wouldn’t feel that lonely?

One buying tip: check on the In-Stock Page, find one version you like the best, and then put an order. This way, you could get your keyboard much faster.

What to buy?

From a size perspective: the mechanical keyboard has the following types (from large to small)

Full size: including a separated number pad

Full Size Keyboard. It even includes a separated number pad. © Ducky

Regular size (TKL): no separated number pad, but has separate special function key zone (HOME/END/PgUp/PgDown).

Only missing part is the number keypad, which is completely optional. © Ducky

SF (Sixty Five) size: with stand-alone arrow keys/Delete/PgUp/PgDown. Remove all the F1-F12 keys.

Ducky One SF. I decided to buy this one. It is compact with the essential special functions keys. © Ducky

Sixty-size: comparing with SF, removes all the stand-alone arrows/Delete/PgUp/PgDown keys.

Only 60% size comparing to TKL. This is the most compact model. © Ducky

Whichever model, it has all the keys. You could make your decision completely based on your taste and preference.

For my daily workload, I do coding and word editing a lot. So, I would prefer a separated DEL and arrow keys. And I like the smaller model, which could offer better mobility and save spaces. That’s why I decided to go with Ducky One SF.

The Keys

As a first-time mechanical keyboard buyer, you might be surprised to notice that you have to select from a list of different switches, such as the below image. What are these “Switches”? What do those red, blue, brown colors mean? How should I make the decision?

Switch Types — Mechanical Keyboard (mechanical-keyboard.org)

Mechanical Keyboard Switches

There are lots of YouTube videos talking about the differences. I would recommend one as below.

Which Cherry MX Key to use? | BeatTheBush — YouTube

For me, I like longer key travels and louder sound. So I decided to go with blue.

LED Backlights

As a grown-up, I am not a big fan of those shiny lights. But it is a completely different story for my kids. They love it and can not stop playing with it. Even as a toy, it is a popular one.

Besides the entertaining effects, I find the LED backlights are sometimes useful. It could light up and residual for 3 seconds for the keys I just pressed. I could use that to help me understand that I pressed the wrong key to make my program crashed. LOL.

Capital Key

It is not only big but also very convenient and easy to reach. But it is almost the most useless key. There are lots of articles, tips, small programs to reuse this little key. Most of them are related to change registration file or install new software, etc. There are all software dependent solutions; once you have changed to another machine, you need to redo all the setup.

Docky One SF provides one universal solution by changing the function from keyboard level. As long as you are using the same keyboard, you will have the same experience across different machines.

How to switch Caps Functions in the official user menu. Ducky_One2_SF_usermanual_V4_20190624_ol (duckychannel.net)

Usage Tips:

For me, I switch the Capital Key to be “Fn” key. This way, it is much easier for me to move my cursor when typing without my hands moving away from the base location. With the Fn + A/W/S/D, I could easily move my mouse cursor, Fn + R/F, to scroll up and down. All of these functions are convenient for developers who wish to use a keyboard to do everything. Once get used to it, it could be very efficient and productive.

All these fancy usage tips, are printed directly on the side of the keys.

All these fancy usage tips and more are all printed directly on the keys’ front side. It is easier for users to refer to.

Summary:

Introduces basic bits of knowledge to buy your first mechanical keyboards, such as keyboard sizes and switches.

How to maximize your productivity by personalizing the keyboard settings.

Usage tips to increase your efficiency with your new keyboard.

Hope you would enjoy the reading and encouraged to buy one and taste it for yourself.