There is a huge difference between "applications you install running as root" and "rooting a device". "rooting a device" means taking over the OS. The typical action is that once you root your android device, you then install CyanogenMod or something similar to replace the pre-installed operating system. Once Cyanogen or someting similar exists, there's no need to have userland apps running as root for the vast majority of people.
> there's no need to have userland apps running as root for the vast majority of people
But they don't - that's what the Superuser apk is for - it only runs certain apps as root, and only when needed (and authorized). Until ICS, even taking a screenshot required root, so it's not that unbelievable that users would want that functionality, and I don't see how this is substantially more secure than Superuser + OTA Rootkeeper.
