WP3 Multi Blogs Questions

Hi

I have a few questions I need some clarification on if anyone can give it a look. For the record I am mostly clueless to php and the more technical stuff so if you could give me the DA version it would be appreciated. I’m learning but it’s mostly bits and pieces.

Anyway, I have my core website domain (via Hostgator) and set up a tester blog in a directory there called home. It’s all up and running without issues, I got the hang of installation anyway ;p

I am interested in/planning on a mini network of blogs covering several theme topics (i.e. media, politics, crafts, etc) that will each be residing in the main website domain, so along with home, there might be other directories for games, politics, crafts, etc…each one having a WP installation…and would be called from a menu on the index page of the main site. mysite.com/politics and mysite.com/crafts etc.

So far I’ve only done home, so before proceeding I am looking for the best route. I’ve called them mini sites but I guess technically they’re a series or network of blogs. That’s my first area of confusion when I’ve checked the forums…people referring to networks of sites, multi sites…

Q1. Are they actual full on websites with blogs included, or are they various blogs called sites?

Q2. Is my above way the best way to go about that option or is there another option that is more appropriate? If so, what is it?

Q3. I am not sure whether to wait for WP3 or go ahead and just make the series of blogsites. If I have multiple blogs in the main domain, will WP3 be able to recognize them or how will that work? I am assuming that each blog will need to be upgraded to 3.0 when it’s released, but the whole multiblog multisite thing has me confused as to what’s going on where.

Q4. If I set up 5 separate blogs, each one will have a database and user info, as well as the main admin login per blog. Is there an easier way to go about that with just one login info for all of them? I’m thinking in terms of networking them together – and the same question for visitors. Will they have to register per blog or does their user info work across all wp blogs?

Q5. When WP3.0 is released, and if I had 5 separate blogs, is it going to recognize them all automatically or will I have to reinstall or retheme or redo everything all over again?

Q6.Is there some (easy to understand) instructions or more info to be found somewhere? I’ve read the forums and browsed WP main site but can’t find what I need to answer the questions.

I guess I’m getting the impression WP3 will let me name off the blogs to be used in a multiple blog option, and work on any of them from a common administration area, whereas at the moment, I’d need to log in to each blog’s admin to do whatever.

Thanks!

EDIT PS: I’m seeing this WP3 Alpha, and have a vague idea what that’s about, but if I were to get a copy and put it in another directory to check out, online – not on desktop I know nothing about servers or all that – will it automatically upgrade with the final release? Will its installation mess up any other blog/s on the same host? I’m interested to check it out but a little intimidated.