By Marty Edwards
I’m an old school typist having learned on a mechanical typewriter. It would be many years before I owned a computer.
My first real computer was an IBM XT which had the well-known 101 key mechanical keyboard. If you are familiar with these, they were heavy, and had a very loud key click. This keyboard served me for years and I was able to greatly increase my typing speed by using the feedback of the mechanical key feel and click.
As I obtained newer computers, many had keyboards that were membrane with the keys only making a soft electrical contact. There was no mechanical key click or components. As I entered the world of Apple, the keyboards that came with desktop Apple computers were nice, but they also had a soft key entry and I could not type nearly as fast as I could on that old IBM mechanical keyboard.
I began a search to see if I could find any manufactures of mechanical keyboards. I was seeing some suppliers around the world but nothing that I really wanted. I keep searching and amazingly almost in my back yard, I discovered not only a seller of mechanical keyboards, but a manufacturer.
I ran across pckeyboard.com, which is based in Lexington, KY. I’m in Kentucky as well, so I immediately bought a Windows version of one of their keyboards. When it arrived, I hooked it up and it was like going back in time. It felt and sounded like the old IBM keyboard. It was lighter weight, which was actually an advantage. I liked it so much, I ordered a second one just in case I was unable to obtain another one in the future.
As I begin to use desktop Macs more, I saw they sold a mechanical keyboard made for Mac: the US$104 Model M. I reached out to them, and they kindly provided me one for review. I knew if it was anything like the PC version, I would love it, and I did.
I had the Windows version hooked to an iMac and it worked wonderfully as far as typing, but I was unable to use some of the special Mac keys such as command. I could not use the Windows version to reboot into recovery mode since I need a dedicated Windows key or command key. (The Windows version I have does not have the modern windows key.)
All the mechanical keyboards I have from pckeyboard.com have buckling spring keys and an USB connector. The Mac version of their mechanical keyboard works perfectly with the Mac. The sounds and keyclicks are like the keyboards of old. If you are a touch typist, you know how quickly the feel and sound lets you type. I thought I had lost this forever and had to use keyboards with shallow key travel and no click.
The pckeyboard Mac version restored everything I loved about typing on older computers. If you miss those keyboards, I highly recommend the mechanical keyboards at pckeyboard.com. They are actually manufactured here in Kentucky.
They have many different models. I suggest browsing their large selection. They sell them under the brand Unicomp. I own three. You will not be disappointed. If you spend any length of time at all at your Mac or PC, these keyboards make typing a delight.
