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"Mechanical" keyboards have individual switches for each key, as opposed to a rubber membrane, as noted in [another answer](https://proposals.codidact.com/posts/291944/291945#answer-291945).  These keyboards have a taller profile, what we used to think of as the standard depth before thin keyboards (like those on laptops) came along.  Mechanical keyboards are not compatible with this thin profile.

When you press a key on a keyboard, there is a point at which the key activates (the actuation point).  This point is partly down through the travel distance, not all the way at the bottom.  (I don't know if that's also true for membrane keyboards.)  As soon as you hit the actuation point, you can stop pressing and move on.  You'll learn where this point is with use, but also, some switch types can provide feedback.

When buying a mechanical keyboard you can choose among several switch types:

- "Clicky" switches (the bane of anyone else in the house or office, in my opinion, but some people love 'em) give audible feedback when you reach the actuation point.

- Tactile switches provide this same feedback but through feel, not noise.

- Linear switches don't provide feedback.  The actuation point is still somewhere in the middle, but if you aren't a light typer, you'll probably bottom out most of the time.  Which still works fine, but is slower.

Within each type, some manufacturers provide options for how much force and/or how far down you have to press to activate the key.  You can also choose to add dampening rings to make switches quieter.

Mechanical keyboards are very customizable, and thus more complex to shop for.  You'll need to spend time reading specs and deciding what you want.  (Some keyboard vendors sell "samplers" so you can see what each switch type feels like.)

As noted in other answers, mechanical keyboards last a lot longer than membrane keyboards.  I've been using one for five years of heavy use with no mechanical issues.  An issue I didn't consider when buying is that the paint (or whatever it is) on *keycaps* doesn't last forever.  I've worn off the text on several keys entirely and on others the text is degraded.  You can buy replacement keys (and replacement is not hard), but it was an unexpected issue.  (I'm a touch-typist so I didn't *need* to replace them, but I did anyway.)

There are keyboard hobbyists, and vendors who cater to them, so you can do a lot more customization than what I've described if you're so inclined.  I once heard someone extol the virtues of using different switch types for certain keys (like the space bar).  You can build an entire keyboard from parts.  I didn't, because I just wanted to get a keyboard that works for me and my typing style, but it's possible to do a lot of fine-tuning.