Carlton,
Thank you for your post. I think the title thread, "Evaluating Various Bitcoin Core Installation Options" would have been a better title choice for this thread, but changing it now is something I think only the Forum Admin can do. I agree with you this thread has become confusing, but I believe much of the confusion apparent in this thread can be avoided if Bitcoin Core releases included a built-in installer.  As for myself I have decided to use the manual tarball installation method. But due to my inquisitive nature I also wanted to get familiarized with the various other Bitcoin Core installation methods available. In hindsight, maybe that was not a good idea because it has created a confusing thread. Nevertheless, thank you to everybody who has contributed to this thread.