Traveller (old) :Questions

Hi all: I have make a empty message eariler, please ommited it, below is
the actual message:

I have just aquire a copy of the (old, 1983) Traveller starter edition.
Since I haven't played traveller before (In my whole 14 years of
RPGing). I find it very interesting (It do expend my imagination). But
find a few questions on the game.

1) Do that game have experience and growth on characters?? I could find
that on the rules...

2) Is there still alot of people playing it??

3) How is it compared to Traveller a new Era, somebody say that
MegaTraveller is not good, and Traveller is a classic, I believe it so.
And after reading it, it is a very good system, I like all the formulars
in it, which is logical (as a CS master student) and I like that stuff.

4) How to find more information on the (old) Traveller game??

Please will anybody which is a Traveller Fan give me some hints and
answers....

Thanks.

- --- Kenneth ---