[read]

Esc-ping isn't the same either. What makes pressing a key (Escape) to enter a mode better than Ctrl, Alt, Shift to enter a mode?

It's also not true that it's impossible to make other editors work like vi. evil-mode in Emacs lets you work like vi.

[likeclockwork]

You don't press escape to enter a mode, you press escape to leave another mode and return to normal mode.

Most vim users are only in insert mode when... inserting text.