If you’re a traditionalist, you probably prefer having a physical book in your hands to thumb through, but certain reads are only available online as e-books. For times like those, there is the new FlipViewer 4.0 digital publication reader by E-Book Systems. This provides a digital 3D page flipping experience as you read electronic books, magazines, newspapers, catalogs, and manuals on your computer.

Instead of the usual “page down” mechanism that you normally use on a PC, FlipViewer literally lets you “turn” pages through its intuitive interface. While you’re reading one page, the system is automatically streaming the next few so that there is no interuption in service, just like with a “real” magazine. Where this beats the real thing, though, is that you can perform keyword searches, bookmark pages, highlight passages, and even scribble your own non-permanent comments.

FlipViewer 4.0 will work with Vista, supporting all sorts of formats including PDF, HTML, Flash, and Word. A Mac version is also available.