Some people have jumped on mesh as the biggest thing to hit SL and think everything should be replaced with mesh. However, even the Linden's have said that mesh isn't going to replace everything, just like sculpts didn't. It will just be another option in the building/creating toolbox. So far, there isn't a lot on the market compared to other things. However as time goes on you will probably see more mesh items around.
Mesh is supposedly less demanding on the servers for rendering, but it isn't necessarily going to save prims depending on the item. However it may be that mesh builds will be able to have more detail and be designs that are not possible now.
I run one of the more advanced mesh viewers and a new high end computer. I haven't noticed any real improvement in performance with mesh. I have asked a lot of people that I personally know are RL pro techs about this and have had various opinions on it. It is true that mesh is more efficient in virtual reality worlds where content is limited to items created by pro's that know what they are doing or mesh content has to be submitted for approval before being allowed on the grid. But SL is different. The content here is a lot more numerous and varied and so much of what is available is created by non professionals and it isn't vetted for efficiency.
Cost is another big factor to how fast it will be broadly adapted. It cost a lot more to make things in mesh. You need advanced 3D software to make it, you will have to invest a lot of time learning how to create with it if you don't already know how, and it cost a lot more to upload it into SL than anything else does.
How much and how fast you will see mesh become the next big thing will depend on the market. The market will be driven by how good the creators get with using it in terms of design and efficiency, whether it really is more efficient in terms of saving prims, if there is a noticeable positive effect on performance and the cost compared to non mesh items. So it remains to be seen I think, although mesh is here to stay and you will see more of it.
If I were you I wouldn't jump ship yet. In the meantime, try some of the V1 based viewers that have mesh capability. Some of my friends with older computers have had good results with them.
Amethyst Jetaime wrote:Mesh is supposedly less demanding on the servers for rendering, but it isn't necessarily going to save prims depending on the item. However it may be that mesh builds will be able to have more detail and be designs that are not possible now.
See the first link in my sig. 
Its not the item that will determine whether or not mesh saves prims.
It will be the -size- you rez it at. So really only 'to-scale' folks will notice a prim savings for mesh, but that savings can be extreme; and they'll only notice this with items they can rez at their scale.
Over-scale folks, well, they can still benefit from mesh clothes - but rezzed items will hurt their tier...
