Currently apt waits until the last package in a group is downloaded before it begins installing the first one. If that was fixed, which is bug 313680, *then* downloading the smallest package first would allow the installation to start sooner. Until that is fixed, though, the order of download would make no difference.
Currently apt waits until the last package in a group is downloaded before it begins installing the first one. If that was fixed, which is bug 313680, *then* downloading the smallest package first would allow the installation to start sooner. Until that is fixed, though, the order of download would make no difference.