Yeah I do appreciate the virtue of softnecks - very nice to have a braid of garlic that will last until next season. Where I live, garlic was not a traditional crop, and all of the imported garlic in stores was softneck. So people are quite excited to try the hardneck which they never had before. And I really love the hardnecks we're growing now, I definitely like them better than the usual softnecks. We grew some New York White for a few years but it did so poorly last year I didn't replant it. However I'm excited to have some Germidour growing from bulbils (thanks Sari!) so I will see if this is a better softneck for our harsh climate.
Naturally, it's best to have both!