Key Points
- Retro mechanical keyboards can evoke nostalgic feelings and bring back memories of typing on typewriters or early 90s keyboards.
- Mechanical switches behind each key provide a tactile, precise, and clicking typing experience that replicates the feel of early mechanical keyboards.
- Retro mechanical keyboards recreate the typewriter experience with their compact design and mechanical feel.
- Retro mechanical keyboards offer modern features like wireless connectivity, allowing them to be easily connected to multiple devices via Bluetooth.
- Retro mechanical keyboards come in various designs, replicating the look of the first mechanical keyboards or even typewriters.
When you type a lot, you get picky about the kind of keyboard you use. Right after typewriters, the first keyboard was a mechanical keyboard. If you had the pleasure of using one of the first keyboards, you’ll already know why retro mechanical keyboards are so great.
With so many keyboards available today, mechanical keyboards with a retro look and feel are becoming increasingly popular. Let’s break down the 7 best reasons to buy a retro mechanical keyboard today!
Background on Mechanical Keyboards
The first keyboard was invented by Christopher Latham Sholes in 1868, and although today’s market for PC keyboards is over-saturated, they’re a fairly recent invention. QWERTY keyboards, as we know them today, come in different shapes, sizes, and most importantly, with different mechanics.
The mechanical keyboard refers to the response and mechanical feel of the spring when you press each key. In the 1990s, keyboards were redesigned and a new type was developed, the membrane keyboard.
Membrane keyboards were lighter, easier, and cheaper to manufacture and made less noise when typing. Although they’re convenient, many people still prefer mechanical keys because they’re faster and more accurate.
More than 30 years later, we’re lucky that mechanical keyboards never went out of trend and are still used and preferred by many people. The most common mechanical keyboards are gaming keyboards because they offer the precision and accuracy that gamers demand, but they’re also very popular with programmers and writers.
A good example of how mechanical keyboards never died out is the fact that you can now buy a retro mechanical keyboard. This is a mechanical keyboard that has been modernized but still has basic similarities to the first mechanical keyboards. Such a combination allows for a better typing experience while keeping the modernized features.
- Upgraded mechanical Bluetooth 5.0
- Multi-device connection
- Classical wooden
- Punk round keys
7 Reasons to Buy a Retro Mechanical Keyboard Today
With various mechanical switches for keys, customizations, and functions, you can get the feeling of typing on a typewriter while using the keyboard for your modern PC or tablet. That’s just one of the reasons, and down below, we’ll break down all of the other reasons you can think of.
Nostalgic Feeling
Retro mechanical keyboards can evoke nostalgic feelings. Whether you started typing on a typewriter back in the day or you used a keyboard from the early 90s, a retro mechanical keyboard can evoke those feelings and memories.
Although manufacturers have switched to membrane keyboards primarily due to cost, many people still enjoy using mechanical keyboards today. Mechanical keyboards offer a very special typing experience that is unlike any other keyboard. The good news is that you can bring back that nostalgic feeling by spending a little bit of money on a retro mechanical keyboard.
Benefits of Mechanical Switches
Retro mechanical keyboards can replicate the look and even the feel of the first mechanical keyboards. However, they don’t only produce a similar typing feeling but also contain mechanical switches behind each key that really bring back the experience of early mechanical keyboards.
Mechanical switches are the very switches that gave mechanical keyboards their typing feel and experience. Fortunately, the tactile, precise, and clicking sound is still what a retro mechanical keyboard is all about.
Also, different mechanical switches give a slightly different typing feel and experience, so nowadays, you can choose the type of switch that you like best.
Recreating the Typewriter Experience
Since the first PC keyboards were developed right after the typewriter era, the first mechanical keyboards recreated the typewriter experience on a more compact device.
There are retro mechanical keyboards made in modern times that still look like some of the first mechanical keyboards. However, they also have a very similar mechanical feel to those keyboards. This way, you don’t have to look for a vintage keyboard that is over 30 years old. Instead, you can buy a retro mechanical keyboard that mimics the look and feel of a typewriter.
Wireless Connectivity
One of the biggest advantages of retro mechanical keyboards is that they can give you the experience and feel of a mechanical keyboard while introducing modern features like wireless connectivity.
You can connect your retro mechanical keyboard to almost any device via Bluetooth. And since they’re less bulky than some of the first mechanical keyboards, you can easily slip them into a backpack and take them with you. Some keyboards can connect up to three devices at once, adding more benefits to their versatility and use.
Aesthetics and Design
There are all kinds of retro mechanical keyboards on the market. While you can find retro mechanical keyboards that replicate the look of the first mechanical keyboards, there are also keyboards that actually look like typewriters. Some keyboards have a number pad, but some omit it to be more compact, which fits more modern standards.
Some retro mechanical keyboards pay such great attention to detail, so you can find details like special cable types, a typewriter docking station for a tablet (instead of paper), and more.
©Rawpixel.com/Shutterstock.com
Improved and Updated Versions
Retro mechanical keyboards not only come in all shapes and sizes but also with modern mechanical switches.
This means that you can choose between a variety of mechanical switches that determine the typing feel and experience. More specifically, the mechanical switches also determine the tactility, response, and sound of the click.
Even though they’re modern versions, they still have a retro mechanical look and feel. Nowadays, you can expect them to last up to ten years, which makes them a good investment.
Build Quality and Durability
Thanks to their good build quality, these retro mechanical keyboards can withstand a lot of typing and even gaming.
And with their excellent build quality, retro mechanical keyboards still offer tactile feedback that is ideal for fast writers or gamers who need to respond quickly in fast-paced games. Plus, this design lets you feel if the key has been pressed or not by the sound or feel of the key, even without looking at the screen.
| Reasons to Buy a Retro Mechanical Keyboard |
|---|
| 1. Nostalgic feeling |
| 2. Benefits of mechanical switches |
| 3. Recreating the typewriter experience |
| 4. Wireless connectivity |
| 5. Aesthetics and design |
| 6. Improved and updated versions |
| 7. Build quality and durability |
- Upgraded mechanical Bluetooth 5.0
- Multi-device connection
- Classical wooden
- Punk round keys
Wrapping Up
From typewriters to the first mechanical keyboards, we’re lucky we stuck with mechanical keyboards considering how popular membrane keyboards are today. Now we have more choices than ever before with a variety of mechanical switches, designs, and customization options to choose from.
Whether you’re into typewriters or mechanical keyboards, you’re spoiled for choice when looking for retro mechanical keyboards in today’s market. And with these reasons to buy a retro mechanical keyboard, there’s a good chance that your nostalgia will lead you to buy one today.
And if that’s the case, you should remember that retro mechanical keyboards can last up to ten years, so they’re a really good investment.
The image featured at the top of this post is ©iampaese/Shutterstock.com.
