Pandora lets users search for customized music which is served up to them via a personalized radio station. It costs a whopping $9 per month to get it on your AT&T mobile phone. And because it uses data to stream music to your handset, AT&T recommends that users tack on a $20 unlimited wireless data plan. Who is going to pay $29 per month for a wireless music service? Not me.Okay, so, admittedly, I am oversimplifying this scenario a bit. But seriously. If you're interested in only Pandora and not other data services (Web, video, etc.), AT&T thinks you should pony up $29 a month for it. That's ridiculous, no matter how cool Pandora may be.

Here's the scoop on how Pandora really works:

A person types in a song or artist in a search field and Pandora serves up a personalized radio station wirelessly to the person's cell phone with songs that fit their preferences. Pandora uses an analysis system called the Music Genome Project to select the songs. The system is made up of highly trained musicians that analyze music one song at a time based on melody, harmony, rhythm, lyrics, and vocals.

I would like to know who these "highly trained" musicians are. "Highly trained" implies expensive. Perhaps that's why AT&T is charging $9 per month for a mobile music service. Maybe AT&T should try letting Radiohead fans pick the music instead. They are a cheap bunch indeed.