They are more familiar with the current system, but after you have done it for the first time, you realise that electrum is actually way easier than banks. People just think its harder, but it is not really.

It's only easier if you ignore the part where you have to get bitcoin in the first place.

All the examples of "see Bitcoin isn't hard, here is $0.0005 worth" completely gloss over this point.

That's no fault of Bitcoin, however. Getting USD isn't magically easy either.

Sure it is. You can sit on a street corner and people will literally hand you physical cash. It doesn't get any easier than that.

Someone merely held a Bitcoin address sign on TV and received coins from all over the world: http://www.theverge.com/2013/12/1/5163926/one-college-footba... How awesome is that? It sure beats the reach of sitting on a street corner...

Oh? Something tells me I can't write a Bitcoin address on my direct deposit form.

Seriously, the interface provided by Citibank is pretty freaking great. I work, I swipe my credit card places. As long as I do the former more than the latter, I don't need to touch anything else. Also every few months I accumulate enough points to buy something on Amazon for $50-$100 for free.

Bitcoin could be even better if I got paid in Bitcoin and could pay people in Bitcoin, but I can't.

I had to physically go to a bank and talk to people to set up my bank account. I don't see how that can be considered more convenient than spending 5 minutes on a website.

How does spending 5 minutes on a website get you bitcoin without having already gone to a bank and talked to people?

Localbitcoins.com, buy with cash

I don't see how you think that avoids you needing to go see people in person which was the claim of the person I replied to.