I have bitcoind on my laptop.
Every six months or so, I run bitcoind to update the database.
It takes over two weeks to update at present, slowly taking longer to complete.
So, 2-3 weeks to complete a transaction?
Why are you still using Bitcoin Core? Use SPV clients like multibit or electrum. They can do the same thing without so much diskspace. Not much security is compromised either.
IMO, the problem about Bitcoin is the adoption rate and the volatility of the price. The volatility of the price does influence the adoption rate though. With less places accepting Bitcoin, the adoption rate would increase slowly. The volatility of the price would make people think twice before investing in Bitcoin. This is a huge problem that can't be solved in the short term.