does preloading images affect load speed of default page?

[crw150]

My page has 17 thumbnails, and onmouseover an enlarged image of each thumbnail is displayed. The code for preloading images is at this FAQ:

faq216-4652

If I include that code on my default page to preload all the images, including the large hidden images, does that make the default page load much slower when it is first opened? I don't understand whether the preload occurs behind the scenes, or if all the hidden images will have to load before my page displays. ??

(I'm having trouble testing this locally because for the life of me I can't get IE6 to clear its cache. Anyone know of a forum for that?!)

Thanks,
CRW

 

[kaht]

Preloading images will slow down the initial load of your page. However, it prevents things like a user mousing over an image and having to wait 5 seconds for the larger image to appear. Once all the images are preloaded, the mouseover event does not have to load the image dynamically. So, it all depends on if you want your page to load slow initially, or load fast and have the user wait for the images when you access them. In all honesty, I never preload images because it's just wasted time and bandwidth if the user doesn't view the images.

If you want to test with a clear cache of IE, press ctrl + f5 to load the page. It should pull a fresh version of the page. Additionally, you can set your settings in IE to always use a fresh copy and bypass the cache, if you just want to do something for testing purposes. I'd suggest not leaving that setting turned on all the time though.

-kaht

Looking for a puppy?

http://www.silkypups.com

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[crw150]

I appreciate your explanation. Having 17 thumbnails plus enlarged images for each, I think I should follow your lead and NOT preload.

Thanks so much,
CRW

And on the non-js issue, thank you, and I understand the ctrl+F5 *should* work, but it doesn't. I also tried closing IE6 and closing Windows Explorer and clearing cache from the control panel. Still didn't work. I had to resize some of the photos, and the only way to make IE6 grab the new ones was to rename the jpegs. Google didn't help me (or I didn't use the correct search terms). Actually, I wasn't kidding about finding a forum appropriate for this topic!

 

[kaht]

Try going to tools > internet options > click "settings" button in the temporary internet settings section > click "every time I visit page"

and see if that works for you.

-kaht

Looking for a puppy?

http://www.silkypups.com

[small](Silky Terriers are hypoallergenic dogs that make great indoor pets due to their lack of shedding and small size)[/small]