Yeap, I definitely prefer Kobo. I plug it into my PC to copy over public domain and DRM-free ePubs with ease, or DRMed ePubs via ADE. I am not tied to any ecosystem. As for the development community, I feel far more secure knowing my Kobo is not locked down. There are no cat-and-mouse games being played with encryption or other protection mechanisms. Modifying the software is a matter of creating a tarball or by popping out an internal SD card and inserting it into my PC (or using ssh, once some initial setup is done).
I don't have to say, imply, of even think that Amazon is "second-rate" to make myself feel secure about my decision. If anything I had to choose any word, it would be "monopolistic" or "vendor lock-in". But don't get me wrong: if Kobo changed their practices such that those words did apply, I would happily move elsewhere. (Kindle and Kobo are by no means the only companies out there.)
Hey, if you’re happy with what you’re using, that’s great. I’ve put hacks or modified OSes on various Kindles over the years, used DeDRM for Calibre, and very much had a solid experience.
I also have a Remarkable 2 and a Boox Note Air that are obviously much more hackable.
I’ve reviewed many Kobo devices over the years. I do find them second-rate compared to what you can get from the Kindle line. That's my honest opinion. That isn’t me feeling insecure about my decision (I am an e-reader enthusiast and have reviewed dozens of devices and have the money to buy whatever device I want. I think Sony made the best devices if I’m really being honest, and they shut down their storefront over a decade ago and barely sell any units now), it’s my personal opinion and I said “I’ve always seen it as” — I didn’t declare that as fact. You disagree, which is fine!
I’m glad we have a choice of things. I still stand by my opinion that if I’m going to be tied down into an ecosystem, I’d rather be tied down to the one with the most books. And where I live, that’s Amazon.
I don't have to say, imply, of even think that Amazon is "second-rate" to make myself feel secure about my decision. If anything I had to choose any word, it would be "monopolistic" or "vendor lock-in". But don't get me wrong: if Kobo changed their practices such that those words did apply, I would happily move elsewhere. (Kindle and Kobo are by no means the only companies out there.)