Bandwidth (throughput+latency) is much bigger issue than HDD storage.
Latest news was that bandwith is no issue. That was why thinblocks was not accepted by core.
If Bitcoin becomes a new reserve currency, it will be about as useful to small people as gold (IE not for everyday coffee purchases).
What?
You mean, we don't need to make bitcoin usefull now, because it will be a reserve currency?
Really?
To put it in touch with finney's words: Maybe, maybe bitcoin will be a meta-currency some day, and maybe the transaction volume will be too big to be processed onchain. I'm not sure, but maybe -- someday -- but not now. The way we are routing now is the way to make sure bitcoin will never be anything like this.