Archiving CDs to HD...suggestions?

i'm thinking of moving and wondering the best way to consolidate my 3k CD collection to a hard drive, which would be much easier to move.

clearly i'd go into PC/Mac-based audio in my new abode.

but a few questions first:
1) does the cd drive matter to the rip? or do i just need to use a good software like EAC or the like to ensure an accurate rip?

2) if i rip on a PC, do i have to use a PC in the future, or can i use a Mac against my external music store if it was created under a PC?

3) what sort of redundancy is in order? RAID 1? RAID 5? or just another HD the same as the one i plan on playing from, and simply use it as a backup?

4) which uncompressed file format should i use? AAC or something else?

5) any estimate of how much storage would be required for 3k CDs? or would it be feasible to split my music collection across 2 primary HDs...like A-L, M-Z...which is really asking if playback software can read across multiple drives in one virtual "library"

6) are rips sensitive to vibrations, power conditioning, etc?

thanks for any suggestions
RC