Server's having issues, as is to be expected - maybe the download mirrors should be linked on the Wiki as well, at least for the time being?
Anyway.
Yes, the game runs slower than it did before. I think it's more due to internal complexity than the graphics, because I *think* this is compared to 40d, not 40d## - but I'm not entirely sure; I've been waiting on the new release for a while.
Speed aside, I love it. The starting setup is sensible and needs only relatively minor tweaking(I saved some points by going with leather instead of bags, silk cloth instead of plant fiber). GCS silk is no longer worth the immense fortune it was, meaning that goblin underwear won't make you rich on one raiding party. The cheaper anvils(1/10 the old cost!) and starting with copper axes do mean starting points are tighter, but - since as mentioned you start with a decent assortment of goods - not horribly so.
I shed a tear for easy underground soil-layer mining. Herbalists will earn their place now in the early game.
HALLELUJAH for the new announcement system - gone are the pause-and-zoom for every little game, and instead being able to zoom to the location of an announcement is awesome. Tree'd labor preferences are nice, though I wish it left the highlight on the one I just Esc'd out of.
Esc instead of Space to exit menus will take getting used to, but I think that's the main problem - I'm not used to it yet.
And another HALLELUJAH: Not only did I get migrants during the first year(7 in summer, 2 in autumn, including a high master stonecrafter in summer!), the livestock they brought with them weren't pets. That alone will make migrant waves SO much more practical.
Oh - and bonus points for being able to specify male vs female animals on embark.
Now, to await my first caravan...