lightweight image viewer with obvious image-loading progress

Hi folks,
Strange combination really. Slow box big pics.

Box:
600MHz PIII with 128Mb RAM. USB 1.1 multi card-reader.

Purpose:
This box is out front in a photographic developing shop.
Its sole purpose in life is to allow customers to insert their camera cards and point out to staff which photos they want developed. Thumbnails fine for most, but where there are subtle differences (eyes open/closed) the full image needs to be viewd.

Image size:
Imagine a town full of rich old people who buy 8megapixel cameras and don't know how to change the resolution. We are talking many megs.

Problem:
box grinds to a near halt as folks miss the subtle hints that an image is loading and continually double-click on a thumbnail.

Solutions so far:
Hour glass - too subtle.
Info box say image is loading - ignored.
Next step is script to block mutliple instances from being started
UNLESS.....
.....I can find an image viewer which _instantly_ pops up a large window and displays the image as it is loaded down a slow USB cable into a less-than-butch linux box.


Unfortunately it is not my box to play with or I'd go straight for more memory. However, I am using no-frills fluxbox with ROX filer and hdparmed up the HD as much as I can.

Open to suggestions folks - Thanks in advance.


--
Andy Richardson

Never criticize a man 'til you've walked a mile in his shoes.
After that, you can say what you like..
'cos you're a mile away and you've got his shoes.
.