It seems way faster to me. I don't think actual file transfer is any faster, but it finds servers faster, connection dialogs pop up quicker and actually connecting is about 3 times faster.
It is a lot less bitchy when the network or server goes down - applications can recover if remote files are open, etc.
Folders from remote servers in my sidebar survive even if the server gets a new ip.
It's still not perfect but I realized I have had less to complain about lately. Like when you notice that your headache has been gone for a while.
