Buying Bitcoin

I have spent a considerable amount of time reading about Bitcoin recently and have finally decided to buy some for myself.  There is nothing as frustrating to me as reading about a great new technology and not actually using it myself.  fortunately the cost has come down considerably in the past few days, presenting a perfect opportunity to get in the game.  

The two uses for the digital currency I have come across the most are speculating and transacting.  I will hold on to a small amount of Bitcoin for speculation purposes but what really excites me is the idea of Bitcoin as a medium of exchange.  As the number of online retailers that accepts Bitcoin continues to increase I'm anxious to understand how the technology works in practice.