Laptop Thoughts: US Laptop Data Plans: A Clear Winner? Confused?

"Now that Verizon's gone official with its LTE pricing for an initial launch in some 38 markets this Sunday, we wanted to take a quick look at how it compares to the other players in the laptop data market -- after all, how much you're paying month to month can be just as big of a determining factor (if not a bigger one) in choosing a carrier than the speeds you're seeing. So how do Sprint, T-Mobile, AT&T, Clear, and Rover stack up? Let's break it down."

A clear winner? The answer is that nobody is really sure, and yes, I am confused. Downstream speeds (in theory) up to 21 Mbps, winner T-Mobile. Best price for unlimited data, $39.99 per month from T-Mobile. Coverage? Nobody is really sure, as the carriers are providing apples vs. oranges numbers, for example 282 launched markets vs. 250 million people covered. Huh? Some use speed throttling. Some provide/create mobile hotspots (MiFi), but not T-Mobile. Verizon does not have USB devices that work with Macs, and doesn't offer an unlimited usage plan. Sprint (EV-DO) charges $59.99 per month for 5GB, and 1GB of overage usage will cost you another $50 while the maximum price per GB with TMo (HSPA+) is a whopping $124.95. If I had to pick a plan, it'd be T-Mobile's contract-free unlimited plan for $39.99 per month. Anything less than an unlimited plan, beware those overage costs - a 200MB plan can be used up VERY quickly at the speeds offered.