Advice needed: Nikon F601 with Tamron AF28-300mm F3.5-6.3XR?

[Thomas]

Hi,

I'm just an amateur photographer. I have a Nikon F601 with fitted with
a Nikon 35-70mm lens. I plan to upgrade it and get a multi-purpose
lens with a longer zoom. I'm looking at the new Nikon AF28-300mm
F/3.5-6.3 XR Aspherical (IF) Ultra Zoom lens
(http://www.tamron.com/lenses/prod/a06.asp)

My questions are:
1. Can this lens fit the Nikon F601?
2. For a multi-purpose lens, is this worth the price/performance?
3. When compare to my current Nikon 35-70mm lens, is the Tamron
28-300mm autofocus speed a lot slower?
4. Any other 28-300mm lens alternatives?

Thanks.

Thomas