Found the vim user! The vast, _vast_ majority of Unix command-line or text-based programs do not use the Esc key because they were not written with a particular terminal or keyboard layout in mind. (Unlike vim.)
But for whatever it's worth, I use vim every day and I notice no 1 second delay when switching modes with the Esc key, so perhaps this is something you can configure in your terminal.
Found the vim user! The vast, _vast_ majority of Unix command-line or text-based programs do not use the Esc key because they were not written with a particular terminal or keyboard layout in mind. (Unlike vim.)
But for whatever it's worth, I use vim every day and I notice no 1 second delay when switching modes with the Esc key, so perhaps this is something you can configure in your terminal.