appeal a H-1B denial

[swissG]

I have applied for H1-B visa in March 2003. a change of status from F1 to H-1B. I was sent a denial notice on Sep29 2003, and was given a chance to appeal the decision.
My questions are:
1.What will be the time period to get a response from the appeals unit(AAU) after submitting an appeal. ?
2. Can I apply for another H-1b immediately parallel to submitting the appeal?

I greatly appreciate your response in this regard.

Thanks
swissG