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If you're a subscriber you have every right to question, if not, well don't bitch since it's free. >>
Oh please. Anyone can bitch. That is the magic of the Internet

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To answer your question though Riddleman - the whole dang forums.anandtech.com is slow. Why would the search be fast? Was it half a year ago when the forums started crapping out last time? Anyway, the servers were upgraded and stuff was poked and prodded and the speed picked up again. Then a month or two ago the subscriber system was implemented and the server(s) you and I are using for free got capped so the bandwidth usage went down or at least stayed the same instead of going up.
So the choice is:
1) subscribe
2) leave
3) do neither but get annoyed by the slowness and seldom use the forums
4) wait a couple months and see if most people do #2 and if the speed picks up
$2.50/month isn't much but I haven't decided yet...