If there were a direct train to Stockport and points north and east, then some of us might take to the rails rather than the roads.
There
is a 'direct' train to Stockport every hour. It leaves at xx55 and arrives at about xx26, but it goes via Piccadilly.
There are also 199 High Peak Airlink buses every 30 minutes during the day from the airport to Stockport, taking 15 minutes.
If I lived in the local area, I'd probably take a taxi too. I would think the public transport links are more useful for people travelling some distance - like me. However, if I've got a flight about 0830, I get off my first train at Stockport and get a taxi directly to the terminal, and this strategy has also been used to good effect if the train is late at any time of day, rather than staying on the train through Piccadilly and having a nail-biting run from the airport station.