I've tried many brands of cream cheese in a cheesecake I bake fairly often and find that only Philly does it justice. It may just be that Philly's the best fit for this particular recipe. I've seen plenty of cheesecake recipes that call for other or no brands. But for this NY-style cheesecake, there is no equivalent work-around.
I can't remember where but a while back I read a bit about the attributes that distinguish Philly. It may have mainly had something to do with the salt content but that's only a vague memory. In any case, while it wasn't quite the Gladwell Heinz essay, it was along similar lines.
As for eating it, I doubt that most/some of those delicious cream cheeses sold at bagel shops are 100% Philly. I suppose it's possible but seems unlikely to me. That said, I've tried several grocery brands over the years and most are not as tasty as Philly.
=R=
Same planet, different world