function switchImages() { 
	$('#mainimage').fadeOut("slow", function(){
		// slide 1
		$("#mainimage").html('<a href="featured_items.htm"><img src="images/index/plasmablue (2).jpg" alt="Panasonic PT-AE3000U Video Projector" /></a><a href="featured_items.htm"><img src="images/index/plasmablue (3).jpg" alt="Panasonic TCP50S1 50 inch Plasma TV" /></a>').fadeIn("slow");
		$("#mainimagetext").html('Panasonic PT-AE3000U Video Projector / Panasonic TCP50S1 50 inch Plasma TV').fadeIn("slow");
		// slide 2
	});
}

// preloads the slide images
jQuery.preloadImages = function() {
  for(var i = 0; i<arguments.length; i++) {
    jQuery("<img>").attr("src", arguments[i]);
  }
}

$.preloadImages("images/plasmablue (2).jpg", "images/index/plasmablue (3).jpg");

// start slides when page loads
$(document).ready(function(){ setTimeout(switchImages, 1300); });