please please help with cingular/prepaid service

Basically i;ve gone everwhere for help and i got nothing. I tried to apply for a plan but i was turned down(i didnt even get a chance for a deposit!)

so the prepaid pick your plan was the option for me but there is a problem, i dont like ANY go phones. i've had my heart set on a tilt since i heard of cell phones with touch screens and keyboards and the combination of those is amazing for me.

if you cant see where this is going my question is this, am i able to buy the phone somewhere, and then go to cingular and have them activate it for this prepaid service. mind you i'd like all of the features/unlimited texting i know is 20 bucks/ probly a data plan as well.

also ive heard that prepaid has lesser coverage because they dont have roaming, is this true? if so is there a way to add that to?

i know this is alot but any help would be greatly appreciated, thanks