Lots of useful information...
One major important thing to note about 1and1.com... they reserve the right to keep your domain name if you cancel prematurely.
I like godaddy.com for registering domains; not for hosting.
I like olm.net for hosting... especially when you can get a dedicated IP hosting package for $6.95/month USD with no setup fee.
Check it out at
http://www.olm.net/cnet/