I hope I am wrong, but I feel it's failing to pass the criteria defined "The Change Function". When you heard "iit's a hassle" in pro-bitcoin reports, you know you have a problem.
I totally agree with that.
The reference client is notoriously lacking in features, making it newbie-hostile.
The third party clients... well... seem only to have like 16 users.
This is most unfortunate since in the users' minds
the bitcoin client === Bitcoin.
DAT, you know as well as I do how often client issues posts crop up in Support and Newbies...
The fact that in most cases the users themselves have caused the issues (by failing to do backups, RTFM, and generally being severely technologically impaired) is overshadowed by a sad truth:
With every such post we are watching Bitcoin fail its userbase.
It is inconsequential that the userbase may be unwashed, uneducated, computer-illiterate morons - if we want Bitcoin to gain as much traction as possible, to become a truly significant currency, the client needs some serious reworking.
The reality check is excruciatingly painful when one is promised ease of use, safety, and security
and loses their 1500$ BTC wallet.dat by performing a trivial system restore.
That surely is not the way to dethroning Pay-Pal, the roadsigns be damned.
What I see in these forums is too much preaching to the choir and back-slapping when some face-slapping seems better served - wake up and smell the coffee.