I have a solution to the problem of availability of bitcoin. No one wants to hear it but that is my goal to give bitcoins to the masses and that is what I do. It is not 100% percent risk free but I do get coins to people fast and easy. I just dont have enough coins! I think that ltc is the next bitcoin for sure. I will buy more when I get my next batch of btc. I am also giving away a free litecoin for liking our page on facebook litecoin friends. If you want to know how I sell to the general public on ebay and facebook for Paypal and have 99.8% success rate you can look under photos on bitcoin friends and see our selling procedure you can also see under completed listings for bitcoin on ebay. My user name is northoutboards.
Just a data-point on Litecoin (and Bitcoin.)
I looked at it briefly when it was pretty new. My sense was that it was not a scam like various other efforts, but it went in mostly exactly the opposite way of what I saw as a durable and scalable cryptocurrency. Again though, I just scanned things.
My friend is still working on downloading the Bitcoin blockchain after several weeks. He would like to participate as a full member in the solution and try to add his part to strengthen it.
He also started messing with Litecoin where it is possible, I guess, to participate in mining and the blockchain is less unwieldy. Cudos to him, and cudos to Litecoin if the accessibility is more than just a function of not being as mature (or not yet having caught the Satoshi Dice plague...)