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As a LOOONNNGGG time Asimov fan (since the 60's), and having read the story last at least 20 years ago, I'm going a lot from memory.
By this stage in the Foundation/Robots saga, Asimov was becoming much more complex in terms of characters and plot development, reflecting a more sophisticated reading audience. The behaviours, dialogue, and interaction in Prelude reflect the general maturation(?) of the science fiction genre. Gone were the wooden, stereotypical caricatures of the 50's and 60's; replaced by much more believable characters (if not the situations).
I can't really respond in detail to all the questions since it's been so long since I read it, but I would like to say that the reappearance of R. Daneel in Foundation and Earth was an incredible twist for those of us who had read the Robots trilogy. It was one of the most surprising and welcome twists in all of my reading. Unexpected, almost logical, and a perfect way for Asimov tie 2 series together.
For those who had read his Opus 100 discussion of the problems inherent in continuing the Foundation series, all of the later books were welcome additions, even if they were so completely different in style than the original books. The best comparison I can offer on the difference in styles is the innocent simplicity of The Hobbit versus the detailed, captivating complexity of The Lord of The Rings.
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