Exact same is true in my area. I need a cell phone provider that I can trust to provide a business call connection throughout the duration of a call.
I did visit my Verizon store today and they did not cripple either model of the Droids they offer. I'm carrying a dumb as dirt 5-6 year old Moto flip phone the only cost upcharge will be a $30 per month unlimited digital plan and a $3 per month increase in my handset insurance plan. Multimedia (photos and videos) will cost me 25 cents per transfer.
My base charge is $50/mo for 750 daytime minutes, 300 free texts/mo, and 5 friends and family free unlimited minutes.
I do expect to pay more per app than I would with an iPhone (typically $35 each), and some iPhone apps that can be purchased outright, can only be accessed with Verizon as a $3 to $4 per month charge. That's the "nickle and dime you to death" reputation Verizon has.
If I buy a Moto Droid today, the quickest I could upgrade to a Verizon iPhone (assuming such a thing ever comes to pass) would be July 2012...just in time to go with whatever iPhone would be available on Verizon at that time.
I have now had the droid a day and a half. I can report that i am 80% happy with it. This is amazing considering i have the lofty expectations that the iphone builds up. It gets bonus points though over the 80% in the fact i can do simpel things like change the mail notification tone omg that is so annoying. This is more a phone than a toy. I have always seen my iphone as a toy not as a true phone if i was in danger i do not feel ATT would be there with the coverage in my area. I have kept my vzw and i have never in ten years of service with them had more than a handfull of drop calls in moderate service locations. When on the frindge it is expect and predictable unlike ATT. The frindge is in the woods or the middle of a lake in the middle of no where. The frindge to ATT is 20 min out side of a population base smaller than 150k people.