Modern quiet keyboards are designed precisely enough that a small amount of resistance is all you need to type comfortably and accurately.
- It has a force—travel-distance response curve with a distinct “click” which gives clear tactile feedback as soon as the key has been actuated (this is when it has been pushed about 2/3 of the way down). As it is pushed near the bottom, resistance gradually increases, so that it is in fact quite difficult to smash the key all the way down—it takes deliberate effort.
- It gives clear auditory feedback along with the tactile feedback (those buckling springs).
You should not be driving the key as far as it can go, as that will cause RSI. Fortunately, this happens less on a Model M than on any other keyboard I have ever used.
IBM designed these things based on decades of experience making the most popular typewriters among secretaries. Good typists can type faster on a Model M than nearly any other keyboard, with much less risk of RSI.
I never had a problem with finding it ambiguous whether a key actually got pressed before using the M, except on ultra cheapo keyboards made in the early 90s.
Before I used the M I'd type with soft, smooth motions. Typing on a well designed computer keyboard bears no resemblance to pounding on an old fashioned mechanical typewriter, which is (I believe) what the M was trying to mimic.