If you were using our latest official release, it does not have the new HTTP texture fetch code that Monty Linden wrote, which may be why things take longer to appear. This was added to Firestorm after that release, and will be in the next official release. As for the increased draw distance 'hack', it is nothing more than modifying panel_preferences_graphics1.xml to increase the max value from 512 to 1024 for the draw distance slider, something anyone can do to any viewer at any time.