New uConsole Buyer with Radxa 101?

uConsole
,
1

I am ready to buy a uConsole and right now (a while ago actually, but I’m trying to make the educated purchase), considering my research, I figured Radxa is what I want as a compute module given:

  1. Availability
  2. Price
  3. Scalability and power (higher RAM models, I don’t consider anything under 16GB RAM to be enough)
  4. The given compatibility with Raspberry Compute Modules that make it an alternative in the first place.

However, I keep stumbling upon things that then I find refuted, and now I don’t know which case is the case, and what is, first, the minimum I need to buy to make things work with Radxa, all the more important considering it wont be a single purchase and, depending on where you buy your parts from, sometimes some could take a long wait to get.

So what’s the bottom line or simple guide for the alternative?

I won’t go through all my discrepancies, but to give you examples: some say the uConsole kits already come with the CM4/5 adapter, some that it doesn’t, do I need to buy it? And is this one the same that works with the Radxa?

What’s with the Software image?

If I buy the cellular data module uConsole, will it work with the Radxa? Is it integrated in the board or is it a separate module? So, is it worth buying this version at all if I want Radxa?

Does eMMC work with SSD PCI storage? I’ve read they are mutually exclusive, but is this the case with the Radxa? Radxa doesn’t have modules with no eMMC.

Will I need to buy external audio compatibility and other externals for this setup?

And would all adaptations outweigh the cost or convenience of simply buying a Raspberry CM5 module?

And what’s with the image software?

If I could only have a straight to the point updated guide that fits in my hand and abstracts all the process of Radxa making it into the uConsole that has already happened and that I don’t need to walkt through again, I will be very grateful.

I’m a software developer but my background is as Open-Source-in-mainstream-PC guy, I understand/am acquainted to the hardware concepts and challenges in portable devices, I just don’t think I know them reliably for this case since I have no experience.

That said, I think this post’s best purpose is to be ideal to make purchasing easy to the rookiest, most clueless enthusiast.

Thank you so much.