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Written by Peter
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Even if you're looking at home automation for the first time, you've probably heard of one brand: X10. It's cheap, readily available and based on the advertisements can do just about anything. In fact, it's how many of us who are now obsessed with home automation got started years ago. The difference between then and now is that back then, that's all that was available. It was either X10 or build your own from relays and spare computer parts (yes, I did this - as did many others). Today however, there are several other choices, almost all of which are better than X10 in one very important way: they're reliable.
When we talk about reliability in the home automation sense, there are really two things that we mean.
1) How long will the device last before I have to replace it?
2) Will the button I press on the controller actually make it to the device?
The second one is the most frustrating thing in the world to deal with, as you really have no idea why the light isn't responding and it's ALWAYS when you're trying to show off your fancy new X10 to your friends or wife that it fails.  Then, because you can't depend on it, you will begin to think of your X10 investment as a toy rather than a serious system that you can depend on. Using it for a security system? Out. Using it for controlling house access (i.e. closing the garage door)? Nope.
Still, many people buy X10 because of the low cost and variety of devices available and are quite pleased for a period of time. At some point however, the decision to upgrade to a more reliable 2nd generation technology is made and the investment in X10 becomes obsolete. So, my question to those considering X10 is: why not skip the wasted money and select a second generation technology to begin with?
There are several alternatives to X10 for your home automation, including remotes and full wireless control:
 Insteon
Pros
 Simple to set up
All units act as message repeaters, increasing reliability as you add units
Module acknowledgment means status is sent back to controller confirming receipt of command
X10 backwards compatibility
Dual communication uses both powerline and wireless to increase reliability
Less expensive than other 2nd gen automation technologies (UPB, Zigbee, Z-Wave)
Cons
More expensive than X10
Not available in European power standards
 Z-Wave
Pros
Available in European power standards
All units act as message repeaters, increasing reliability as you add units
Module acknowledgment means status is sent back to controller confirming receipt of command
Wireless only communication excels in houses with older wiring such as knob-and-tube
Cons
More expensive than X10 and Insteon
Fewer devices available than Insteon or X10
The bottom line is that X10 is a technology that is past it's time, but still continues to be presented as cutting edge. If you're looking for a neat toy to turn on and off your christmas tree for a few weeks a year (exactly what someone I know uses it for) then by all means go the X10 route. If you're looking for something that you'll be happy to have invested in, works reliably and can be expanded to a whole house system (including integration with alarm systems like the Elk M1) then do yourself a favor and go with a more mature technology.
Check out the other home automation reviews or see what the best deals are currently.
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