For commuters, who ride every day rather than just when the weather is nice, fenders are a logical and extremely helpful choice.

I just got a second bike last month, a "Commuter 3" from Jamis. It is designed specifically to be marketed toward bicycle commuters. It has paint-matched fenders and paint-matched rear rack as standard, included equipment. It also has the 7-speed internal rear hub standard. I love it so far, it is my perfect commuting machine. Because they included the fenders, etc., it has been pretty perfect right from the get-go, just add lights and roll. I hope that becomes a trend - manufacturers designing great commuting bikes specifically for that purpose. Of course, everybody has different preferences, and you can successfully commute on any bike if it works for you.