How to load object 1st?

Is there any option for SL to load objects 1st, then other avatars?

No sorry. The server determines the order in which to load things for you. You can not change it.

That sometimes happens anyway. Recently I've been to quite a number of places where the buildings rez before avatars do.

I do think lindenlab should update their servers? Their network speed are very slow, and I believe their hardware are not even close to what server should be, feels like PC...

Servers and PCs usually do not have any different hardware. Servers are just designed to be more durable and easy to perform maintenance on. For example the ability to swap out components without turning off the machine.

When I look at the lag meter, it's usually my computer that's showing red/slow first, then the internet but only occasionally the LL server - usually when I'm in a busy place.

I'm in Britain where the existing broadband is creaking under the strain, so I'm told.

LOL, I'm talking about real servers for commercial use, since Linden Lab is charging $ for island and places.

I'm not gonna list the spec for what a server should be. But in real life, server is different to PC...

and for what it is, it is obvious that Linden's servers can't handle 50 users in a place efficiently, no wonder it's not popular.

each server the lab uses hold between 4 to 6 sims each machine. They are top of the line machines this I do know. Mostly what holds things back is how the sims are coded. Plus everything is dynamic and changes, the sims have to do alot besides host the av's.

Anywhere to find the spec/definition of a sim?

How about holding less sims per server?

I'm sure you understand that everything streams to you as it can be changed in real time (unlike the optimised and unchanging background data stored on your machine by other 3d places).

You could turn off character rendering while you load, but I'm not sure what gain that would be. For what it's worth I don't usually have much of a load time - if you are having a long time during the loading period perhaps you have something blocking/strangling the download.

Character rendering is in the debug menu.

Fewer sims per server would mean charging more for the sims.

I'm not sure if this is what you are looking for or whether it will make much difference but you can toggle the rendering of avatars by using the shortcut Ctrl-Alt-Shift-4. In terms of prioritizing the loading of a texture, I was told that hovering your mouse over a texture will prioritize its rendering, which is something I use when shopping at a busy store and it does seem to work.

or that LL makes less profit.

The thing is how often does the bg really change? After all all the code execution for bg effect is done on user's pc. It's avatar who is keep changing, their position, posture etc. With the bg in high loading priority, at least I know where the hell I am, and I won't stuck on some invisible thing that make my avatar falling!

What does Ctrl-Alt-Shift-4 actually do?

I've tried the mouse trick, but doesn't really work for me...

It's what I mentioned above. You need to enable debug before you can disable Character rendering.

Disabled Character rendering, but everything of every avatars in the area are still downloaded

I'm not quite sure what you mean (plus as I pointed out I didn't really think it would be helpful anyway, but I like experimenting so thought you might). I'd use that setting MUCH more except it also causes, not just avatars, but sculpties, to disappear. I have needed it for machinima work but been unable to use it because of that.

It would be a neat thing to get ten or so people to video TPing into the same new region so we could see relative download times. THEN we'd be able to tell a little more. Gwyneth LLewelyn has a blogpost about TPing into the uber-laggy Hair Fair comparing SnowGlobe and the released viewer. I've found SnowGlobe to be good, too - perhaps you'd like to try it.

/me secretly tries to get the OP interested in fooling around in the UI and experimenting with viewers, as she herself likes that.

Thanks, Osprey Therian.

I mean I was hoping to lower the download priority or not even download avatars' data if I disable the character rendering as you suggested. Of course, that's only true for rendering. Cause when I re-enable the rendering of character, all avatars shown up instantly (I have sit idle for awhile) and the object I expect still doesn't show up.

hmmm TPing...

Almost always I end up with the world rezzing before the avatars. No clue why it happens that way for me.