[GalaxyNova]

No, it's because a lot of the time you want to use a different keyboard layout. For instance with international keyboards.

[amelius]

I mean most of the time I want just the layout like it says on the keys. Isn't that representative of at least 90% of all users?

[account42]

No? Touch typists (which ideally should be everyone using a computer more than occasionally) will prefer the layout they are used to. Programmers are often better off using QWERY + dead keys instead of their country's native layout which might map common programming characters to akward positions. If you are actually looking at the keycaps while typing you're doing it wrong.