The Best Keyboard, According to Science

Summary

This video explores people's opinions on which type of keyboard is best, discussing the pros and cons of virtual, laptop, desktop mechanical, and desktop optical keyboards. It references multiple studies that compare typing efficiency, accuracy, and effects on the body across keyboard types. The video concludes that optical keyboards provide the best combination of responsive keys, ergonomics, and low noise. However, it acknowledges different keyboard types work for different needs, with portability favoring laptops and adapted keyboards assisting those with limited mobility.

Takeaways

• 😀 Virtual keyboards are the least efficient and comfortable typing option
• 👍 Laptop keyboards with rubber dome keys increase typing efficiency by 60% over virtual keyboards
• ⌨️ Mechanical keyboards are divisive - people either love or hate the loud clicks
• 🔉 Auditory feedback from mechanical keyboards helps accuracy, but physical feedback is more effective
• 👐 Optical keyboards provide physical feedback without the noise of mechanical ones
• 😌 Adapted keyboards (one-handed, macro programmable, etc.) accommodate different needs
• 😎 Self-powered keyboards that harvest typing energy may extend battery life in the future
• 😕 Virtual keyboards lead to more shoulder muscle tension and risk of repetitive strain injuries
• 🤔 The best keyboard depends on your needs - mobility, noise tolerance, visual/motor abilities, etc.
• 🧠 Tactile keyboard feedback engages brain pathways that improve typing speed and accuracy

Q & A

What are some of the different types of keyboards mentioned in the video?

The video discusses virtual keyboards, rubber dome keyboards, mechanical keyboards, and optical keyboards.

What are some of the benefits of a mechanical keyboard according to the research?

Studies suggest the loud clicking sound provides auditory feedback that can improve typing speed and accuracy. The feeling of pressing down the keys can also aid typing performance.

What are some downsides of using a virtual keyboard?

Virtual keyboards were found to be the least efficient for typing. They can also cause more shoulder and arm muscle strain compared to physical keyboards.

How might vibrating virtual keyboards compare to mechanical keyboards?

Research found that the physical feeling of pressing down keys helped typing more than auditory feedback from sounds. So virtual keyboard vibrations likely wouldn't provide the same benefit as mechanical keyboards.

What are some ergonomic advantages of mechanical keyboards?

Mechanical keyboards often have a sloped design to reduce wrist strain. They may also be split to help relieve forearm strain.

What are some special keyboard designs mentioned for accessibility?

The video discusses one-handed keyboards, programmable macro keyboards, and keyboards with large, high contrast, or colored keys.

How might keyboards be used to power devices in the future?

The video mentions research using small magnets and coils in keys to generate electricity from typing. This could help extend battery life.

What does the video recommend as the overall best keyboard option?

The video concludes that optical keyboards are the best option overall, providing tactile feedback benefits without as much noise as mechanical keyboards.

What factors should determine what keyboard is best for someone?

It depends on portability needs, typing habits, environmental noise, and physical abilities or constraints.

What additional resources are mentioned for earning college credit?

The video promotes Study Hall for earning transferable college credits affordably by watching course videos on YouTube.

Outlines

00:00

😃Virtual keyboards are highly portable but inefficient for typing

Paragraph 1 discusses virtual keyboards. It notes their portability benefits but highlights research showing they are the least efficient for typing due to lack of tactile feedback. This leads to lower typing accuracy and speed compared to physical keyboards. The lack of a place to rest the hands also causes muscle strain.

05:01

🤓Laptop and desktop keyboards provide tactile feedback for efficient typing

Paragraph 2 explores laptop and desktop keyboards. It explains how the rubber dome and mechanical/optical switches in these keyboards provide tactile feedback that improves typing speed and accuracy over virtual keyboards. It notes research showing desktop keyboards with physical key switches lead to the most efficient typing overall.

Keywords

💡keyboard

The main theme of the video is discussing different types of keyboards. The script mentions various keyboards like virtual, laptop, desktop, rubber dome, mechanical, optical, etc. It talks about the advantages and disadvantages of each keyboard type.

💡typing

Typing is one of the primary ways we interact with keyboards. The script discusses research on how different keyboard types affect typing efficiency, accuracy, speed, and comfort.

💡virtual keyboard

A virtual keyboard is a keyboard displayed on a touchscreen device like a smartphone or tablet. The script notes virtual keyboards are highly portable but less efficient and comfortable for typing compared to physical keyboards.

💡rubber dome keyboard

Rubber dome keyboards have compressible rubber bubbles under each key and are commonly used in laptops. The script states these provide better typing efficiency and comfort than virtual keyboards due to the physical feedback.

💡mechanical keyboard

Mechanical keyboards have individual spring-loaded keys that give strong tactile feedback when pressed. The script notes they are divisive - some love them, others hate the loud sound.

💡optical keyboard

Optical keyboards use light beams to detect key presses. The script suggests these provide tactile feedback similar to mechanical keyboards but with less noise.

💡ergonomics

The script discusses how different keyboard designs affect ergonomics and musculoskeletal health. Certain keyboards may reduce strain on the wrists and fingers during prolonged typing.

💡custom keyboards

The script mentions special keyboards tailored for individuals, like one-handed keyboards or those with larger keys. These can aid accessibility.

💡future keyboards

The video speculates on possible future keyboard innovations like self-powered keyboards that harness typing energy. Advanced designs may further improve ergonomics.

💡comparison

A core aspect of the video is comparing different types of keyboards in terms of efficiency, accuracy, comfort, ergonomics, and other factors. It aims to determine the "best" keyboard or which keyboard may be best suited for different needs.

Highlights

Virtual keyboards are less efficient for typing than physical keyboards

Rubber dome keys in laptops provide tactile feedback that improves typing performance

Desktop keyboards with mechanical or optical switches allow for the most efficient typing

Mechanical keyboards are divisive - people either love them or hate them

The loud clicks of mechanical keyboards provide auditory feedback that can aid typing accuracy

But physical keypress feedback is more effective than auditory feedback for improving typing

Optical keyboards provide tactile feedback without the noise of mechanical keyboards

Vibrating virtual keys attempt to simulate physical feedback, but aren't as effective

Pressing physical keyboard keys requires more finger force, increasing injury risk

Specialized keyboards are available for one-handed typing or limited mobility

Future self-powered keyboards could generate electricity from typing to extend battery life

Laptop keyboards are best for portability, adapted keyboards for special needs

Overall, optical keyboards provide the ideal combination of tactile feedback and noise level

Mechanical fans can use their noisy keyboards if they don't mind irritating others

Study Hall channel provides affordable college courses and credits for self-learners

Code and Programming course teaches programming to complete coding tasks

Transcripts

People are really opinionated

about keyboards.

Like I’m a little worried

about making this video

And all keyboards have their merits

There’s the convenience

of a virtual keyboard,

the no-frills functionality

of a rubber dome keyboard

and the pure luxury

of a mechanical keyboard.

You might have an opinion

about which keyboard is best

based on years of user experience.

But the thing about those opinions

is that they’re like armpits.

Everyone has them, and they all stink.

In this video,

we’re going to talk about what science

says about the best keyboards.

And I can already hear you tapping  away at whatever you think is the  

best keyboard to go on a rampage in the comments.

Especially if it’s a mechanical keyboard,

because you can hear those things

from miles away.

But go ahead. Make my day.

We’re going to settle this keyboard debate,

once and for all.

[intro music]

Let’s start with virtual keyboards.

Believe it or not,

there are people who actually prefer

the tablet-style variety over other kinds.

They are of course, obviously wrong.

But let’s give this highly  portable option its due.

Sure, it’s easier to balance

the screen on your chest

while you watch YouTube in bed

without the bulky external keyboard in the way.

And to all the of the people

that are currently doing that,

that’s wild that we just predicted that, huh?

I know the setup.

I’ve been on the internet

for a long time

But studies have shown

that it’s the least efficient way

to type anything.

Not to mention it’s uncomfortable

and probably not great for your body.

We’ll get into that later.

But the point is that virtual keyboards

have a lot of growing to do

before they make it to the top of this tier list.

One of their big drawbacks

is the lack of place to put your hands.

And this actually matters

because it keeps your muscles engaged

when they could be resting.

In a paper published

in the journal “Applied Ergonomics,” researchers

measured muscle activity

using electromyography,

or EMG electrodes,

placed on the participants’ shoulders and forearms

while they typed on virtual, laptop,

and desktop keyboards.

Typing on a virtual keyboard

might have kept the participants’

finger muscles relaxed,

but their trapezius muscles

by the shoulders were more active.

That’s the kind of long term muscle activity

that has been associated

with musculoskeletal disorders

like carpal tunnel over time.

And if you’re more of a

Comfort-today-in-spite-of-discomfort-tomorrow

kind of person,

the questionnaires

that these researchers collected

also suggested that virtual keyboards

were inferior to conventional ones w

hen it came to the pleasantness

of the typing experience.

So anyone who tells you that virtual keyboards

are the best is at the very least,

an outlier.

Luckily, there are better alternatives.

Or at least other keyboards that are better

for people who type a lot.

Like laptop keyboards!

Laptops have almost as much portability

but way more functionality and comfort

because you can actually feel the keys depressing

as you push down on them.

That feeling comes from rubber dome keys

that are often found in laptop computers.

And the name is pretty straightforward.

There’s a large rubber mat under the keys

that has little compressible bubbles

lying under each key.

So everything is connected

under the surface.

When you press down on one of these keys,

it only depresses about 1 millimeter.

But that same study I mentioned earlier found

that even a small physical response

like that is enough to increase typing efficiency

by 60% and accuracy by 11% compared

to virtual keyboards.

Since the whole point of virtual keyboards

is that there’s no physical key

to push down on,

they can’t absorb any of the force

from your finger.

So even 1 millimeter

makes a huge difference.

With outcomes like that,

I feel like I’ve said all I need to say

about how irrefutably

better rubber dome keyboards

are than virtual ones.

But they’re not the pinnacle

of the keyboard hierarchy.

Studies have shown that typing on a laptop

still isn't as efficient

as typing on a desktop keyboard.

And desktop computers often come

with one of two kinds of keyboards,

mechanical or optical.

Both have fancy spring column keys,

so instead of a blanket  mechanism for all of the keys

like the rubberdome system,

each keyboard has its own switch.

The way the switch works

is what separates optical keyboards

from mechanical ones.

With optical keyboards,

you press down and a beam of light signals

that you’re activating that particular key.

Mechanical keyboards are triggered

by pieces of metal touching

when you push the key down.

Mechanical keyboards are famously loud,

and people have strong feelings about them.

A publication

from the Mechanical Engineering Department

of Marquette University surveyed people

on their keyboard preferences

and concluded that

“​​participants either  emphatically liked or disliked”

mechanical keyboards,

while they were more neutral  about rubber-dome keyboards.

So science says this is  the most divisive keyboard.

But some researchers

have suggested that the incredibly obnoxious,

I mean robust, sound that  comes with these switches,

may be worth it.

The Marquette engineers noted that

the auditory feedback you get

when you press down on a switch

and hear a loud clickety-clack

may be one reason people type more effectively

on these keyboards than others.

The idea is that

there’s a psychological  component to accurate typing.

If you get some kind of sign

that you successfully pressed a key,

then you’ll know when your finger

didn’t quite get

where you wanted it to go

and you need to try again.

But a study from the

Haptic Interface Research Laboratory

at Purdue University found that

you won’t get that effect just from sounds.

They compared how people responded

to hearing those kinds of signals

and feeling them.

And they found that the distinct feeling

of pressing down on a mechanical keyboard

informed people that

they successfully typed something

more than an associated sound.

Participants in the study

typed 14 more words per minute

and were slightly more accurate

when they got physical feedback

rather than auditory feedback.

So, although you can find publications

that defend the annoying  sound of someone typing away

at a mechanical keyboard,

it doesn’t seem like it does much

but drive everyone around you up a wall.

Which is really an argument

for optical keyboards,

which give you a similar feeling

to mechanical keyboards

with a little less of the maddening noise.

And since the feeling of pressing down

on a key does help you type,

researchers have tried ways

to use that knowledge

to level the playing field

across all of these keyboards.

They’ve attempted to create that effect

in virtual keyboards by adding vibrations.

It’s just tough

to make you feel like you’re pressing a key

that isn’t actually there

because everyone has a different threshold

for detecting vibrations.

So you might get that feeling  from a little vibration

while the person sitting next to you

needs a bit more before it  really registers for them.

And even if they did provide

the same psychological aid,

vibrations from a virtual keyboard

still aren’t the same as  physically pressing a key.

When you push a key down IRL,

you’re using force.

In fact, you’re probably using

about 2 to 5 times more force

than you need to.

Especially when your fingers

are really flying.

All of that extra force going into keyboards

can be tough on the body

and put you at risk

for developing musculoskeletal disorders,

or at least becoming fatigued.

Another advantage of mechanical keyboards is that

they’re often shaped differently

from virtual and laptop keyboards.

They might have a specific slope

to help relieve some of the strain on your wrists.

Or be split in half

to help ease the strain on your forearms.

But they’re not the only keyboards

that come in cool shapes.

There’s a variety of keyboards

designed for people with different needs.

For people typing with one hand,

there are one-handed keyboards.

Yeah, the entire keyboard’s

half the size of a laptop keyboard.

For people working

with no hands or limited mobility,

there are programmable keyboards

that allow you to create macros.

That way, you can press fewer keys

to accomplish the same goal.

Just like in excel,

you can create a series of keystrokes

that automatically run

with the press of a single button.

For people who need larger

or different colored keys

to see or mentally process

the different options in front of them,

there are large print, high contrast,

and multicolor keyboards.

And those are just the options today, in 2024.

The future of keyboards is even cooler.

For example,

we may be able to use the energy

that people put into their keyboards

to make self-powered computers.

This idea isn’t something

you can buy at the store just yet,

but it has been tested in the lab.

A 2021 paper in the journal “Nano Energy”

outlined how researchers generated electricity

from little magnets and coils

built into the keys.

So the best keyboard of the future

might be the one that extends

your computer’s battery life.

For now,

which keyboard is better for you

depends on who you are

and what you’re doing.

If you’re on the move all day,

the rubber dome keyboard of a laptop

might be just fine.

If you don’t have a wide range of motion,

you might find a more adapted keyboard handy.

And if you’re alone and don’t mind the noise,

feel free to wail away

on a mechanical keyboard.

But overall, optical keyboards are the best.

You can fight me in the comments.

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[ OUTRO ]