I went the cheap way. It's also the way that they hate on all the crime shows - the dreaded prepaid cell phone. I have a basic trachphone that makes calls! Somewhere in the system I know it has a phone book and I can assign numbers to people but I just turn the phone on and dial the number and that's the simple way. I never turn it on unless I want to call out. I want total control over the phone. I don't want someone calling me when I'm out eating or at a freinds house. I don't need for my phone to tell me if my picture on the wall is straight or where a restruant is. It doesn't even take pictures! I pay about $120/year for enough minutes to last me all year long cause I only use it when I want to. No contract. It does have lousy reception inside buildings. But I don't care.