alt Hacker NewsI don't think they prefer it, but the price is a deciding factor.
Most people would be happier with La Marzocco coffe machines which costs thousands of dollars, but if you get an OK shot with a 100 USD DeLongi, then the choice is clear for majority of the population.
La marzocco micro and mini are still high effort to make your coffee compared to some automated 90% cheaper delongi.
I think people sway to low effort endeavours that still have a reward at the end (even if it lesser reward than high effort).