Newbie Advice needed

[Free <Free-spam-me-not@xxxxxxxxxx>]

[I am posting this on USENET as well as YAHOO GROUPS - so if you
monitor both, please bear with me.]

I have been scouring the web for info for a couple of weeks, but there
are some fundamental questions I cannot seem to resolve to my
satisfaction.  I would appreciate any advice I can get.  I have a
2-story house with about 2000 sf per floor.  I want to start with some
simple automation, but quickly move to more complex capabilities.

I don't see any of the newer technologies coming anwhere close to X-10
prices; and also they mostly don't have the wide selection of
supported devices as X-10.  So, I think I am going to start with X-10,
if reliability is anything close to tolerable.  Comments?

X10.com seems to have excellent pricing.  SmartHome is pretty close.
Is X-10 technology implementation any better with either one of these?
Any reason not to mix-and-match?  Does either have an edge in software
robustness?  ActiveHomePro has a plug-in for conditional macros - does
SmartHome have similar capability?

I would prefer a stand-alone programmable controller (i.e. set it up
with a USB-linked computer and then let it run alone), but I could
dedicate an old W98-capable laptop to the task if that gave me a lot
more flexibility.  How does computer control compare to the standalone
X-10 (CM1xA or PowerLinc controllers)?

Is there any difference between X10 and "X10 Pro" besides a longer
warranty?

I don't get X-10 "2 way".  If all devices are 2-way and support a
report back of status, and if the controller can understand this
status, it would seem that would solve intermittent transmission
issues and X-10 would be near 100% reliable.  Apparently, it does not
have "five 9's" reliability so I am left wondering what "2-way" does
and why the controller cannot sense when a command has failed and
retry until it works.  (Obviously, if a transmission is never able to
be received, this wouldn't work but I would expect intermittent
problems to be solvable.)  What am I missing?

Thanks to you wise men!