My point is, when I think of pricing in USD, I don't have to convert USD to JPY or CNY or EUR ... I just "know" because I have a feel of what other things cost in USD, so I have a frame of reference.
Anyone else have trouble gauging BTC's relative worth/cost?
correct, and MANY MANY MANY companies use this "frame of reference" naivety to skim profits off of consumers that do not keep up with exchange rates.
example: when Apple or Sony decreases prices of their old hardware 2 years later, it is *usually* because of exchange rate fluctuations that have occurred within that time period so great that they cannot fool enough consumers into thinking they have a fair price. It actually has very little to do with the age of the hardware or giving a break to consumer loyalty.
currently in the bitcoin economy, yes there is a lot of volatility, as such you cannot keep a price the same for 2 years with people thinking it is a fair price.
but your frame of reference is actually something companies count on to gyp you every single day, because they are aware of the exchange rate, which also changes every single day.