Post Reply Button - Quick Post - Subscribe

Hi All,

I'm thinking about getting rid of quick post for two reasons:

1)  Often user's are typing a reply to a great thread they just read... they are about done typing the reply and think, "Oh... I better subscribe to this."   Well, here's what happens and can be frustrating:
       a)  They hit the subscribe link above and what they typed in the quick post is gone.
       b)  They try to remember to go back and scroll down the page then click "subscribe".

2)  Adsense:
       a)  If the user has to go to another page, that's one more opportunity to get them to click on an ad.
       b)  When the quick post is gone, the ads in my footer are more often visible / seen.

So, my questions / requests:

1)  If I remove the Quick Post, how can I make the "Post Reply" link more prominent?  It seems so hidden to the bottom right when users are accustomed to the quick post at the bottom left.  Many user's may think they lost posting privileges if Quick Post is gone.

2)  Is it possible to make "Post Reply" an image so it will really stand out once I make the switch?  If so, can I get some pointers on how to do this?

3)  If I decide to keep Quick Post, is there a way to put the "Subscribe to this topic" check box under the "Quick Post" text area like in the "Post Reply" section?

Thanks much!