For me, the reason of placing them in a bowl of salted water is to draw out the starch and to keep the potatoes from turning brown. I enjoy prep work so all that is not a chore to me.
You know, potatos that have been left out and browned a bit will turn white again as soon as you start to cook them. Try it if you don't believe me. I don't know about leaving them out unpeeled for long amounts of time but under a half-hour or so (never left longer than that personally), they'll whiten right back up.