Fellow questioning Verizon subscriber here. I've been with them for 11 years now. The ONLY reason I am with them is that historically, their cell quality has been superior (by far) to any other carrier in my area. I'm starting to question though ... they have a lame phone lineup, the crippled bluetooth is infuriating, their cost is usually about 15 % higher, and their refusal to show anything resembling innovation is just infuriating. I'm thinking I might need to give someone else a shake.

Saying that "anyone with know-how" can develop cells is not really correct. Anyone with know-how that becomes a registered BREW developer with Qualcomm, develops the cell, submits it to NSTL for testing, and gets it selected by Alltell to be placed in their "cell shop" and made available for purchase by users can develop them.

If you're thinkin Alltel vs. Verizon it could be 'cause Alltel is still very much a regional player and doesn't offer service in many places outside the southeast.

Alltel specifically is a regional player so switching to them may not be an option. And gettin g a handset certified to operate on a network is a PAIN. Just ask Motorola what they went through to get back onto US Cellular's network.

Alltel is leading the way with Celltop and the much improved user experience it will foster. Celltop is a cool and effective solution to an old problem with mobile phones and their clunky, inefficient UIs.

HA! 79 degrees in Austin? I wish.

Well actually anyone can bitch about the weather. I really dont care.

Wow, widgets on a mobile device that I can actually afford. What's more, at 10 bucks a month for all you can eat/download, I wont be sticker shocked every time I get my bill. Can't wait to see which cells come next.