I type a lot but not that much typing that pads per finger would be an issue for me. I use f keys for changing desktops (ctrl + Fx) and I use the media keys to change volume. The later I use infrequently and not having a symbol on a key wouldn't work for me, I wouldn't remember where it is...

You can still use layers even though there is an extra row of keys so not sure why to remove keys other people rely on.