In terms of commuting longevity, it's hard to say. My rear wheel is off my road bike circa 1996, and has thousands of km on it. I think I repacked the bearings once in 2001. I've had a couple of sealed cartridge bearing hubs fail on other bikes the didn't see the horrors of a daily commute and cost a lot more money. Serviceability is key here, I think. It will also depend on where you live. A bike in SoCal will last for a lot longer than a bike ridden in a snowy place where they salt the roads.

I recommend going with cheaper components, such as your LX or even Deore level stuff. Commuting is like the death of 1000 cuts, as opposed to the guillotine. Chris King stuff is beautiful and I'd love to have it on my bikes, but for the price of a hubset and headset I can buy two entire commuter bikes that will last for years with regular maintenance. YMMV...

I would recommend a cyclocross or touring bike based on load handling capability and versatility. If you're a heavy guy, consider a mtn bike with slicks for nice weather and studs/knobbies for foul weather.