what camera + lens is right for me ??

[jasonfodor]

I am looking to buy a DSLR, but know absolutely nothing about them

Budget is $2,000-$2,500.
Use: Taking photos indoors of clothing items for auction sites.
I don't need fast shutter speeds, clothing will remain stationary.
And I don't need something with a mega zoom (I probably won't use zoom at all).
And I don't need a ton of megapixels (will be resizing images to 4''x4'' for online pages)
My main issue is going to be lighting, and image quality.

I am currently thinking Canon t4i with Canon ef-s 17-55mm f/2.8 IS USM

http://i46.tinypic.com/15zqi5i.jpg
Top image is not mines, it's a guy with an older Cannon (from 2007) and Canon ef-s 17-55mm f/2.8 IS USM lens. Bottom left is with my current sleek point and shoot Sony 10 megapixel camera, it's from my old house and I liked the turn out. The bottom right is at my new house and the image is horrible to say the least. I think this is due to my older house having larger windows and better lighting. Both bottom pictures are with same camera.

http://i47.tinypic.com/1yac93.jpg
http://i48.tinypic.com/24mxj0w.jpg
http://i48.tinypic.com/9jqihy.jpg
Here are pic's with my Sony camera, the first pic is my main focus, when I shoot images from that range, it turns out horrible, I don't think my camera is good enough to capture details at that distance. Second picture, I like my cameras capabilities at that distance. Third picture at close distances, I don't think it's great, but I think it's OK.

My questions:
(1) What camera and lens should I get? I loved the picture of the jeans with Canon ef-s 17-55mm f/2.8 IS USM lens. But I have no idea what those numbers mean. Is that lens right for me, based on my needs? Also, someone stated that lens is "ultra pro", is there something else I can get that would fit my needs?
(2) Do you think lighting is my main problem? Maybe I should buy lighting and just a cheap camera?
(3) Do I need photo editing software? I am willingly to get software only if I can put a certain filter/adjustment and click apply all to all my photos. (I don't have the time or knowledge base to edit each photo one by one)
(4) As far as shooting, what mode and settings should I have the camera to fit my needs?

Thanks