fwiw .. I suspect that peoples' views of a zoji and of rice makers generally depends on what rice they eat most of. If it's Thai or Chinese or sticky rice then I think they can all be much of a muchness .... however pillau rice I find there's a real difference with the zoji and pretty much everything else I've tried or tasted. Mine is used 70% pillau and 30% everything else. I wouldn't swap it.
What is pillau rice? Isn't it a style of cooking?
We use our rice cooker mainly for Akita komachi and Koshi hikari varieties of Japonica rice. I'm sure those who are knowledgeable about Chinese and Thai cuisines are just as particular about the varieties of rice that they use, saying it's all much of a muchness seems rather silly.
And there are other techniques that those who understand their preferred rice varieties will employ. For us, rinsing the rice, allowing it to drain and then soaking it in decent water is pretty crucial when looking to get the best from it, particularly cooked plain without a broth.