Note on hubshifters: There is one other semi-common style of shifter which is NOT what you were looking at, and that would be a hub shifter. All the components are internal to the hub so the bike looks like a single speed (one front gear, one rear gear) but it has a shifter on the handle. Hub shifters are more technically complex but user-simple... You can shift at any time, while pedalling, not pedalling, moving, sitting still, whatever.

Many people dislike them because of (perceived or real) drag from the shifter, many people believe that they are not as efficient as the regular chain-deraileur shifter. They are not common and I have never heard of one on a factory 10+ speed bike (usually they have no front shifter, and the rear hub shifter is 3, 7, or 8 speeds) (I am leaving open the option that someone on here may have build a bike with a front deraileur shifter and a rear hub shifter ).