• Road Runner

  800-roadrunner; rr.com

  We’ve endured endless headaches trying to get high-speed Internet access through so-called DSL (digital subscriber line) service from Verizon and other providers. The technology can be difficult to install and even harder to keep up and running. Time Warner Cable’s Road Runner could steal market share simply by being a slightly-less-sucky alternative. Instead, it’s an unmitigated pleasure to use: For $45 a month, you get always-on service that we find to be rock-solid (J.D. Power and Associates agrees, giving Road Runner top marks). The one time our service went down, we were able to get a (successful) tech-support visit within 24 hours. And Road Runner includes all sorts of extras, like unlimited free dial-up access for when you take your laptop on the road.

From the 2003 Best of New York issue of New York Magazine