I don't know what the fuss is all about with the Edge enabled laptops. No one is reporting anything in the way of useful speeds for those who need more than IM and email. I use the EvDO cards from Verizon and have given my Sprint card to my fiancee so she has connectivity on the go to write prescriptions for patients who call while she's in transit.
EvDO clearly is the faster and more stable transport layer, plus it supports VoIP/Skype/SIP. The drawback is when you leave a Broadband Access area you revert back to National Access which is the same as GPRS.
The reason Jonathan is stuck using the "slower" technology on the move has more to do with corporate think about technology. Buy everyone the same thing so it's easier to support as opposed to let the exec choose and support themselves. A lot of IT dollars could be saved is companies aggregated the "what's best" for each person across company lines.
When I consult with companies on messaging we talk about clusters of audiences and from them personalization to the individual. In the case of Jonathan, he's a power user. GPRS and Edge won't cut it for him. As a knowledge worker he needs his access, and has it with his Blackberry and will really love it when he's allowed to use his Mac again, once Intel is inside. Now if they only will provide him the EvDO. Oh, that's a Qualcomm product so his IT heads and bosses will likely say "nay" to that after Intel brings out their WiMax in some place like Siberia. Sorry, NYC isn't Siberia and if EvDO works best then Jonathan should have it.