Why are mechanical keyboards more popular than soft girls in the world of programmers?

I remember a girl complained online: she was the only girl in the office full of programmers. One day, the guy sitting next to her changed his keyboard. Everyone lined up to see it all morning, and people from the next office came to try it out. During this time, no one noticed her newly dyed red hair...

It can be seen that for programmers who spend half a day in front of the computer: if there is anything more important than soft girls in this world, it is undoubtedly the keyboard, mouse and other peripherals. The programmers' fanatical pursuit of "eating partners" is just like the girls' obsession with cosmetics. So girls don't care if their boyfriends spend hundreds or thousands of dollars to buy a keyboard. Understanding is the best.

As the elites of society, high-end IT talents, and programmers who can earn a fortune by typing on the keyboard, how to reasonably show their low-key, luxurious and connotative taste is a very distressing problem. However, now there is a keyboard that can meet these needs (zhuang) from all aspects (bi).

In the current mechanical keyboard market, various metal panels, domestic and foreign axis bodies, multi-color backlights and even RGB seem to have made consumers suffer from "face blindness", but in the numerous keyboard recommendation posts on the Internet, there are always replies such as "Why not spend more money on G803000", which shows how the original G80-3000 series with original axis has a certain status in the hearts of many netizens. 3494 is the red axis version of the G80-3000 series, and because of its peak status as a red axis, it has its own unique number 3494, that is, G80-3494.

A Little Overlord that costs just over 800 yuan is pretty tasteful.

Appearance

The 3494 feels like something from a different era when you hold it in your hand. Don’t expect it to be as beautiful as an Apple, a fashion symbol, or a work of art. Although appearance has never been a selling point for Cherry, the Germans’ rigor and paranoia make this model, which has remained unchanged for 20 years like the Little Overlord, still highly sought after in today’s retro style.

Although the Subor looks like it only costs 40 yuan, the keyboard shell is only a thin layer, and the keycaps are several times thicker than the keyboard shell, there are no multimedia shortcut keys, no breathing lights, and it seems that no mechanical keyboard looks cheaper than the 3494. However, there is a reason why the 3494 has such a high status among peripheral enthusiasts.

3494 uses the most successful 3000 series precision molds of the Cherry series. The precision design from German origin will make you find that only 2 screws are used to disassemble the entire keyboard, and the rest of the fixed parts are all designed with buckles. The convenience of disassembly also means worry-free cleaning in the future. Although the thin keyboard is only fixed by buckles, it feels soft when twisted, but there is absolutely no squeaking sound. And the buckle is quite tight, there is no gap between the upper and lower covers of the keyboard. In addition, as a German product known for its rigor, the excellent quality of quality control is also well-known. This 3494 in my hand also continues the tradition of Cheery keyboards without broken shafts. Although the style is a bit rough, the workmanship is almost perfect. The curvature of the keyboard also reflects Cherry's design skills as a major mechanical keyboard manufacturer. The very comfortable curvature will not cause fatigue even without a wrist rest during long-term use.

The material of the keycaps is also a major factor affecting the feel of the keyboard. Currently, there are three main materials on the market, namely ABS, PBT and POM. In terms of feel, I personally think that PBT is slightly better than POM and ABS. The white 3494 uses PBT keycaps. Compared with ABS, although it is not as delicate as ABS, it has greatly improved hardness and wear resistance. At the same time, it also solves the problem of "oiling" of mechanical keyboards after long-term use.

Another major feature of 3494 is that it is large. It is more than 2 cm wider than the commonly used keyboards. Before you buy 3494 and enjoy the pleasure of typing, you should also consider whether your desk is wide enough. In terms of the number of keys, 3494 adopts the most original and standard 104-key standard keyboard design. The advantage is that no matter what keyboard you have used before, you can easily get started without the need for familiarization. But there are also some criticized areas. Compared with the various humanized improvements made by various manufacturers on the market to their own keyboards, the approach of 3494 is a bit old-fashioned. First of all, the distance between the function area and the main key area is more than 1 cm. For players such as WOW and Dota who need to frequently use the function key area keys, it is not an easy task to easily press keys such as F1. Secondly, there are no multimedia keys such as Fn, etc. For users who are accustomed to using such keys, they also need to install third-party software for setting.

If the above problems can be adapted after a period of use, then for those who are used to carrying a keyboard, mouse and notebook to work, the size of 3494 determines that it cannot be carried with them. As shown in the picture, the common 15.6-inch notebook bag cannot accommodate 3494, so the positioning of 3494 is also destined to be an office peripheral.

Feel

A good feel is very important for users who write more than 10,000 words a day. As for the four mainstream axes, the blue axis has the best feel but the loudest noise. The black axis has a fast response speed but the rebound force is too strong and long-term use will cause finger fatigue. The tea axis is similar to the blue axis and is very moderate. The red axis is similar to the black axis but the rebound force is softer. It is also the closest to the membrane keyboard in terms of feel. So from a comprehensive perspective, the red axis is also the most suitable axis for office use. It will not affect other people around you due to excessive noise like the blue axis and tea axis, nor will it be unsuitable for long-term use like the black axis. Even if you have never used a mechanical keyboard, you can easily get started with the red axis.

Another major feature of the 3494, the pinnacle of red switches, is the lack of a steel plate design. The presence of the steel plate gives the switch better physical feedback, but it also weakens the characteristics of the switch itself, and the noise is louder. As one of the few designs in the industry without a steel plate, the 3494, combined with Cherry's original red switches, maximizes the spring pressure of the red switch: light, yet mechanical, and without the loud noise of a steel plate touching the bottom. Overall, the feel is much better than other brands of red switches.

As someone who is used to using blue switches, the first time I used 3494, I felt it was soft, but after using it for a while, I denied it. It should be said that it was very soft when I first touched it, and it can be triggered with a little force, but after triggering, the finger will feel supported. Compared with some other thin films, the fingertips fall very steadily and flat, just like jumping on a trampoline. When touching, there is no hard feeling of loose film, and there is no stiff and empty feeling. The rebound is not as sudden as the blue switch, which will make the fingers feel a strong impact of the rebound. Although the rebound is not so sudden, there is no obstacle or slowness when inputting quickly, just like flowing water.

Summarize

In general, as the original 3494 that everyone has always praised, the first time I used the original 3494 with the original axis, I felt very comfortable. It gave me a feeling that made me like typing, light and fast, and smooth. I instantly fell in love with typing. As the saying goes, if you want to do your work well, you must first sharpen your tools. The arrival of 3494 has greatly improved my office efficiency.

3494 is positioned as an office peripheral like Microsoft's IE series peripherals. Although it is not so cool, in an era when other manufacturers are embarrassed to put their products on the shelves without breathing lights, the plain and simple G80-3494 like the Little Overlord still sticks to its own tradition. The excellent feel and super long service life will never go out of style, just like its appearance that has not changed for 20 years.

Are you attracted by this keyboard that can improve office efficiency and is very classy?

As a winner of Toutiao's Qingyun Plan and Baijiahao's Bai+ Plan, the 2019 Baidu Digital Author of the Year, the Baijiahao's Most Popular Author in the Technology Field, the 2019 Sogou Technology and Culture Author, and the 2021 Baijiahao Quarterly Influential Creator, he has won many awards, including the 2013 Sohu Best Industry Media Person, the 2015 China New Media Entrepreneurship Competition Beijing Third Place, the 2015 Guangmang Experience Award, the 2015 China New Media Entrepreneurship Competition Finals Third Place, and the 2018 Baidu Dynamic Annual Powerful Celebrity.