
Since I started this thread, b2evolution has moved on and the changes are significant. Any work done months ago would need quite a few changes now, and this means either starting again for someone or delays.
I am currently using the latest Alpha - first time I have ever used an Alpha on a live site - and am really happy with it. For a blog, I wouldn't look anywhere else except b2evo, but I am also doing cms-style sites now in Wordpress. (I successfully moved a site from Mambo to Wordpress and am really pleased with the result - might do some more

For now, the wrapper option is probably the best if you want to continue using b2evo. If you want to change to Wordpress ready for a JD-WP integration, there is a simple importer out there you can use.