Most of the keyboards use one of the following three concepts.
Rubber dome keyboard lifespan.
The key sits on top of a rubber dome when pushed down it activates a circuit that says that this key has been pressed.
Compare that to your average rubber dome keyboard which is rated to 5.
The membrane rubber dome switch is the most common type of keyboard switches.
It still uses rubber domes but a special plastic scissors mechanism links the keycap to a plunger that depresses the rubber dome with a much shorter travel than the typical rubber dome keyboard.
It s pretty difficult to do any maintenance on a rubber dome keyboard as well.
This provides a more stable typing platform and gives the keyboard its rigid body and heavy weight.
When released the circuit is broken and the keyboard continues.
Its simple structure and low cost makes it an ideal solution for budget keyboards.
I couldn t find a rubber dome factory but the following video is close enough to get the.
The rubber piece inside a membrane keyboard is so easy to produce and so is the cheap plastic material around it.
The lifespan of a mechanical keyboard also depends on the type of key switches used.
Apart from this if a keyboard is spill proof and is easy to clean it adds to the lifespan too.
Wasd mechanical keyboards also mounts the switches to a thick steel plate before the switches are soldered to the pcb.
That s not the only benefit of dome switch keyboards however.
The rubber dome key switches are designed for around 5 million keypresses while the cherry mx switches can provide around 30 to 70 million keypresses.
Your average rubber dome keyboard has a life cycle of 5 10 million.
All hail ripster god of all things keyboard.
Just check out this article on removing the keycaps.
So if you re looking for a keyboard with strong tactile feedback stick with a metal dome and avoid the polyurethane models.
You can expect many years of use on your mechanical keyboard.
Mechanical keyboards have many advantages over rubber dome or scissor switch keyboards.
One thing i d like to point out is your comment on the ione plunger switches.
Membrane rubber dome scissor switch or mechanical switches.
Rubber dome keyboards are the most common form of keyboard out there and most gaming keyboards are rubber dome keyboards.
Rubber dome chiclet keyboards.
You can also replace the switches on mechanical keyboards when they do fail further extending the lifespan of the keyboard.
The feel of a keyboard is strongly determined by its switch technology.
A friend of mine got suckered into buying a ttesports knucker and it was a noticeable improvement over most domes i will admit.
The keys are attached to the keyboard via two plastic pieces that interlock in a scissor like fashion and snap to the keyboard and the key.