Maximum PC

I've been on the fence for this one for a while now, enough that it's bugging me to no end. Should I get a mechanical keyboard?

I've used as much as I can, and I do feel a subtle, preferable difference. At least to Cherry MX Blues and Browns, but I don't like the loudness of Blues. However, I come back to my Saitek Eclipse II and it almost feels the same. The only other problem I have at the moment with most mechanical keyboards is they either are goofy looking because they're gaming oriented or they lack something else I need/want. Like the keypad and volume control (though I've seen a few with FN+F keys for that).

There's also the millions of keystrokes of life I hear, but I've yet to have a membrane based keyboard die on me from overuse.

Any one else use a mechanical keyboard and swear by them?

Yes, go for it.

Mechanical keyboards are so much more durable than regular membrane keyboards.

I own 3 IBM Model M keyboards(buckling-spring design) that I have had since August 2007,and they're still clicking away happily.
(2 of them are from 1991,the third is a 1995.)

The thing is, as I said, I never had one die on me because it was overused. So durability is not really a concern for me.

I have both. Prefer the membrane cuz its quite. No response diff.

Sorta bump- just would like to say that Goodwill is a good place to find mechanical keyboards on the cheap. I go to my local one about once a month, and 50% of the time there's an old mechanical keyboard there for $5 like the Model M and its clones. Just be warned you'll need an adapter for the really old AT connector.

As for the feel, they're better than $5 brand new membrane keyboards but they don't blow my mind. I gave them a try but soon switched back to my MS Natural Ergonomic keyboard. The lack of the windows and media keys was also jarring. If you've tried ergonomic keyboards before and didn't like them, though, they are worth it if you can get them cheap and don't mind the noise.

I've mulled over it some more, but I'm very picky. I'm stuck on MX Browns, but I can't say that until I've tried Reds. And while I do like some blingy features (backlit keyboard, for instance), I don't like gaming keyboards with a dozen macro keys and fugly designs. I'd buy a CM Storm in a heartbeat... if it didn't look gaudy.

I guess I could get over that though. I do like Das Keyboard and Filco, but I'm still kind of on the fence. The keyboard I've been most happy with is the Saitek Eclipse II, but I fudged up the spacebar while cleaning it.

EDIT: The good thing is I do have tight desirables for keyboards, so it helps narrow things.

• As mentioned, Cherry MX Brown. I've tried Browns, Blues, and Blacks.
• If it's backlit, it can only be blue, green, or white. If it's red I don't want it, period (also 50% of why I don't want the CM Storm)
• I would prefer a full 104 keys, but I'm opening up to 80ish-keys and just get a numpad. Of course... matching numpad (as in look) may be hard to find
• I want media keys. Or at least volume control. And to make it more annoying, if it's the FN+F key style, none of them should be at F5-F8, because it means I need two hands to work it.
• I don't care for macro keys or any other extra gaming features. These just don't appeal to me.

I have a corsair myself, K90, it does have macro keys but they are lower then the rest of the keys. blue backlight and the brightest lighting I have seen yet, I play in the dark alot. rest of the keyboard is pretty standard in layout 104 keys, not all are backlight, and not all are mechanical, the macro, F keys, and function keys are silicone dome and not backlight. has cherry reds on the rest of the keys, and it is 40.00 off at the egg right now. http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16823816002 has media control buttons as well.