A terribly unhip person, I went with Virgin Mobile pre-pay.

You can buy 'em at Target--and that just reeks of class!:b

If you're gonna use a cell phone a lot, a regular carrier with monthly plan might be more suitable. I only have a cell phone in case of emergencies and such, though I am already guilty of driving while talking and walking through a store yapping on the damn thing, which I hate when other people that do it!

You buy the phone for about $50, though a couple other models cost more. As long as you keep adding $20 worth of call minutes every 90 days, you're account stays active. You won't lose minutes either, which is nice.

You "top up" your balance by purchasing phone cards (available at most retailers) or doing it via your credit card. Personally, I'd stick with getting the phone cards. The cost is 25 cents per minute, but if you talk for longer than 10 minutes during one day, the rate drops to 10 cents per minute.

Service--Haven't had a problem yet. The phones aren't as "cool" as most cell phones go, but that's not really important for me. I live in L.A. and have gotten good reception nearly everywhere.

Pros--Very reliable so far. Phone is fairly sturdy. I've dropped it a couple of times! No extended contract hanging over your head. In regards to other pre-pray cell services, the 90 days before you have to add more time is quite nice.

Cons - Even if someone calls you, you use up minutes. Plus you also use minutes when checking for voice mail or text messaging, which is bogus.

There's more info available at the website. Good luck whicever way you decide to go!

www.virginmobileusa.com/