There are many annoyances with bitcoin including the following:
1.) Bitcoins are very difficult to obtain on the Internet.
2.) It is near impossible for an average user to generate bitcoins with his or her computer.
3.) Technical skill is required to obtain bitcoins via an online exchange.
4.) If money is sent from a bank account to an online exchange then the transaction is no longer anonymous and that money can be traced.
5.) Sending cash in the mail for bitcoins could take days, weeks, or not at all and is unreliable.
What is the solution to these many problems? Multiple teams within the United States are attempting to build and distribute ATMs in mass quantities. ATMs will allow bitcoins to be distributed anonymously with cash without the need for an exchange. With bitcoin ATMs it will only be a drive away before an average person can buy bitcoins! The value of bitcoin will skyrocket once a non-technical user can buy bitcoins as easy as buying local goods.
There are many ways to distribute bitcoins with an ATM and each development team is handling them uniquely. I could explain in further detail in how these bitcoin ATMs would work, but to protect the business interests of my sources I am going to remain quite for now. Who will win the race to provide the best bitcoin ATM with the most locations?
Here is an early attempt of one team hacking open an eBay bought ATM:
http://biticon.wordpress.com/2011/03/31/bitcoin-atm/
http://biticon.wordpress.com/2011/04/16/atm-progress/