Get ready for the next bubble, it's slowly rising beneath the surface. People are starting to realize that we are nearing the end of the era where you can plug in a device and get bitcoins from it. Well, more bitcoins than it cost, anyways.
It's now difficult to keep track of all of the companies manufacturing ASIC hardware, or currently in the design process ahead of mass production. The existing players have already said that they have next gen products in the pipeline as well. Preorders are rolling out at a pace that suggests that people are already getting left behind, but we can't know for sure. All you can do is speculate to when that will happen (or happened).
As more and more people come to that realization, The percieved risk of loss in hardware investment will greatly outweigh that associated with simply buying up bitcoins right now, and seeing the price take a dramatic and long term fall.
I know that I'm a hyperbull, and everything I say should be tempered with some rational thought on your part, but this is the first time I'm calling for an uptrend based on fear instead of exhuberence and excitement. Fear is far more powerful, and doesn't go away quite as easily. Ask your grandma why she has so much canned food.
I don't understand your point. Are you saying that when people realize increases in difficulty are going to ultimately make ASIC purchases unprofitable that they are going to start buying bitcoin? Do you mean the price of ASIC hardware is going to take a dramatic long term fall, or the price of bitcoin?
My feeling says that the current upturn is shallow. I think it's going to peter out pretty soon and that the overall downward trend is going to continue. I think better buy opportunities are on the horizon. Of course, I know trusting your gut works in business, but I don't know about with trading.