X10 wants to change that. Its ActiveHome house automation system is an inexpensive ($99), all-in-one kit that the company hopes will get users hooked on controlling their homes with a PC. If you're looking to become the ultimate couch potato, this kit is for you.

Open the ActiveHome box, and you'll see software and an impressive collection of gadgets. These include a universal remote that can run X10 modules (the electronically controlled switches you use to operate appliances) and many current TVs, VCRs, cable boxes, and stereo components; a key chain remote; a lamp control module that doubles as a dimmer; a computer interface for connecting a PC serial port to the system; and a transceiver that transmits commands from the wireless remote controls to the modules.

Installation takes about 30 minutes. Simply plug the computer interface into an outlet and connect it to a free serial port on your PC. Then install the software from the included CD-ROM and start up the program.

The ActiveHome software includes a rich variety of options that should satisfy even the most ardent twiddler (once you learn to ignore the annoying start-up voice). Life Style mode records every command you send to your X10 modules during a 24-hour period; then plays them back every day to make your house looked lived-in while you're away. You can divide your modules up by location, such as living room and kitchen, making it easier to track appliances. You can even combine a series of commands into macros that control multiple devices. For example, you could create a Good Night macro to turn off your living room lights, turn on the bathroom light, and start up your electric blanket. Requests from the ActiveHome software travel through your home's electrical wiring to the appropriate modules. (One note: in our installation, the system occasionally locked up. X10 admits that some units had the problem but says that has been corrected in current shipments.)

Best of all, you don't have to leave your computer running 24 hours a day to keep your home "active." You can program a limited number of Fast macros and individual module settings to reside in the computer interface, where they run automatically, based on the unit's internal clock. Standard macros require that the computer be running, though PCs that support On Now or Rapid Resume can be configured to power up as necessary.

X10 and several other companies sell additional modules (starting at about $16 each) that let you control everything from sprinkler systems to air conditioners to burglar alarms. Using those modules, you can make your abode almost completely computer-controlled.

Now, if only ActiveHome did the dishes.

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X10 ActiveHome
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X10 Inc., 800-675-3044
PC: 486/66, CD-ROM drive, Windows 3.1,95,98

The modules.