I've heard keyboards that use dome with slider designs, like Packard Bell keyboards, are about as cheap as generic non-mechanical keyboards, but avoid the mushy bottom-out, making the typing experience infinitely better.
Something like the Topre Realforce keyboards are nice if you want something a bit softer but still high-end. Most of the reasons we end up with bad feeling keyboards is companies looking to cut costs. I highly encourage other developers/typists to find an opportunity to give a good mechanical keyboard a try.
Topre Realforce keyboards are expensive, but very good quality, and pleasant to use. A pair of them have been my daily drivers at home and at work for the last 8 years.
I think the OP's article is quite a good rundown on basic usability features that are perplexingly missing on many keyboards. The Realforce ticks the boxes - except for extra media keys, which YMMV on. I also appreciate the ability to swap the CTRL and CAPS LOCK key on the keyboard by flipping a dip switch, which allows my preferred layout (it even includes the extra replacement caps lock key, and it actually has an LED under where the old CTRL is, so you keep your caps indicator).