DirectNic = Real people, great service
I used directnic for many years, they are great in every category. They went through the ordeal of Katrina without a hiccup (they are in New Orleans, US) and kept the good service while Katrina was hitting them. Some years ago they used to be among the cheapest, but today, the only drawback is their price; as you start buying more domain names you start looking for a cheaper domain registrar. I would move ALL my domain names back if they offered a better price.