+1 Coinbase, although I wished they offered next day ACH withdrawals to bank accounts for a small premium ($0.25 is is what Balanced Payments charges).

While I'd love to recommend a YC startup, Coinbase charges much more in fees than MtGox or CampBX, for example. Yeah, they provide more features and a cleaner UI, but if you want to just buy some bitcoins, stick with lower fees from established players.

Whoever will be the first to create a shopping platform, as Coinbase plans to, will very likely get a nice boost and probably become the #1 player.

I've never understood the cost to buying bitcoins to begin with. You need to use a credit card I imagine, which will say have a 2.9%+ fee associated with it?

One word: Chargebacks.

If someone decides 60 days later that they want to contest the purchase, they can. Usually this screws over the seller, leaving them in the negative.

I am not sure I grasp your point entirely. Could you rephrase or reiterate this idea?