There's also the Stack Overflow method for first-time users: no sign-up at all. Let them use the site anonymously but fully, and register at their leisure. I'm using that for a current project.
It works totally offline, and if and when you are ready to sync, it takes the locally stored stuff online. For bonus points, it continues to work offline too! :)
Scribble users totally love it. BUT - it really increases the amount of effort and complexity involved.
