I eventually threw away my apple keyboards from 2005 so they are literally garbage.
Regarding the 2017 keyboards, I'm not even talking about the fault rate. They had no escape key and the key travel was too small so it was like typing on a touch screen.
> and the key travel was too small so it was like typing on a touch screen
No, no it's not really.
It's all about preference and tolerance. I bought my Mum an 'old' Apple USB keyboard (i.e. similar to the pre-2017 laptop keys) when her PC's existing KB broke, as I liked mine very much. Being a life-long touch-typer, she just couldn't get on with it, because the travel was too little for her. She's now very happy with a KB with mechanical (Cherry) key switches.
In contrast, I prefer the older Apple KBs, but can get on perfectly well on my 2017 MacBook Pro's KB; and it's not like a touch-screen at all.
I wonder, how my use of my 2017 MBP differs from yours - I am constantly burdened with key presses that are registered twice or not at all, keys getting stuck. A bit of dust getting in the switches sometimes renders some keys unmovable - the switch will actuate but there will be almost no perceptible key travel.
I agree that when it does work, there is _some_ feedback from keypresses, but seriously, if they can fake the clickability of the touchpad via haptics, why couldn't they do the same for the keyboard? Out of all devices that I develop on, the macbook is the most frustrating, mostly because of the keyboard.
Hmm, the travel was really something I got used to quickly, although I also prefer more travel. I found the noise and the lack of an escape key much worse and these issues have recently been corrected.
Still, I don't think these issues made the KBs true garbage. Such examples would be nearly any non-MacBook touch pad or often enough display hinges. Far worse than a slightly less convenient keyboard which can always be supplemented with an external bluetooth keyboard as well. Can't really do that with hinges.
Regarding the 2017 keyboards, I'm not even talking about the fault rate. They had no escape key and the key travel was too small so it was like typing on a touch screen.