Click clack: Mechanical keyboards compared

The first IBM Model M keyboard was made in the 1980s and quickly rose to a cult product with typing purists who prefer its buckling spring keys as opposed to the thin laptop keys we use today.

As a result, manufacturers like Das Keyboard, Matias, and Rosewill are rolling out updated versions of the Model M that bring back the same key switches and the click-clack sound--hence the term "mechanical keyboard."

This guide offers more about mechanical keyboards than even the average geek cares to know, but unfortunately you can't try them out before you buy, so be sure to watch the videos and listen to the typing sounds before you make a purchase.

We've rounded up several of our favorite mechanical keyboards.