Question about multiple computers on one iTunes Store account

I have an iPad which I need to sync with several (actually 8) different Macs around the country. This is the nature of the work I'm doing at the moment. I plan to set all 8 Macs to the same iTunes Store account. I don't need to authorise them to play music or video, but I do want to be able to transfer content and apps I purchase so that I can backup the iPad whichever office I happen to visit. If I purchase an app in one office, presumably I can download it again for free on any of the other Macs should I need to. Understand that this is purely so that I can sync and backup in multiple locations without losing my apps or content.
Does anyone know if what I'm proposing will work? Is the "Authorized Computer" limit purely a limit on playing back content in iTunes? Or will I be prevented from syncing my apps and content on more than 5 computers?

What is not yet clear is quite how the new rules square up with the old rules that one account can be authorized on up to five computers and up to five accounts authorized on any one device.
Unless I'm much mistaken I think you can backup an iPad/iPhone on any computer running iTunes without authorizing it to any of the individual accounts that may have been used for purchased content on it first, although transferring purchased content from the device to the computer does require prior account authorization.
Since you can re-download apps at any time and, at least if you are in the US, now re-download previously purchased music, I think you should be fine. Thought I'd still suggest that it might be easier to take a portable version of your library with you than set up eight independent instances of iTunes.
tt2

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