There’s no one right answer. Different things work for different people. It just depends on your own needs and preferences.
For example, I myself am quadriparetic with limited hand function. So while the minimote is an extremely popular handheld controller, and works great for most people, it doesn’t work at all for me because neither I nor my service dog can use it. That’s obviously an extreme case, but it’s just an example of why “all home automation is local.”
The following thread goes into detailed discussion of various features for different device classes and why one might be preferred over another for A particular use case:
The bulbs versus switches discussion is a very common one in the forums, there are many threads discussing it. The real answer is that again, different things work for different people. But if you start with the following FAQ, you will find much discussion and people taking various positions:
