Uhm well go back to the basics.

Wait few seconds, means they have to download stuff first.

You either
a) cut down the number of downloads, by for example setting url of plugins when it's needed.
b) make them progressive downloads. I for example use placeholder flash files of a few Kb (with maybe a progressing bar of its own), that download larger external files.
c) reduce the size of your plugins. There is no default imagequality. Use photoshop save for web and test different quality / filetypes. Can you see the difference with the naked eye (imagine yourself a normal user and not a pixel perfect photographer)
d) although files get cached, always make sure you call upon an instance of an object instead of redownloading/recreating it. (programmers know what I mean). For example I have an image 1x1px white jpg. And I stretch that image to create borders and backgrounds, and use smart alignment to create an interface, while others make a 1000x1000 png with an interface drawn upon it. Alsoo make smart use of keep="true"
e) Do I really really really need this plugin, or do I add this because you think it's default. For example a fullscreen button, how many users does actually use the fullscreen button... still it's another 30kb to load
f) png files are usually bigger then jpg files. Do you really need the alpha channel?
g) Does your tour really need multiple resolution levels.
h) the preload="true" attribute loads the plugin first before it loads the panorama. So choose wisely which ones you really need to preload, else people look at a blank screen
i) use tiles. It loads progressive and the tiles you see first, are loaded first.

Always think from the user side. The avg user has only a 1024x768 screen. So focus on that.

use actions to create some of your plugins after the tiles load.

onloaded="addplugin(pluginname); set(this, that and the other thing);"

hey greg,

not a pro here,..just offering a suggestion as i've received much appreciated help myself here. I don't think the plugins will effect too much of the dowload time. Do you have a link to the tour. Do you have eveything embedded in one swf file, that will surely slow things down. If kept seperated you should have no problem with speed unless your panoramas are too large to begin with.

Rob

wauw,

that does take a while to load :O I see the server requesting informating over and over in the statusbar. I can't give real insight why this is. but it seems you have all the plugins with preload is true? Else it would load krpano progressively, now it just waits with a white screen

bazuki,

Wish I could read the language of the tour. 35 seconds of white screen for the first link,...2 seconds for the second to see the map, then another 5 for the rest to load. I guess follow zephers pointers,..wish I could help more. Looks like you put a lot of work into it and some nice hdr panos. Your buttons get a little lost with the blur though. Like zepher said,..remember the audience.

rob

You can use jpg image file but with opacity mask, that will very smaller than png!