User interfaces and methods for manipulating and viewing digital documents

A computer device having a system for simulating tactile control over a document includes a a velocity detector for determining a velocity vector associated with pointer movement across a display screen. In response to a command for dragging a document, the velocity vector is employed in redrawing the document in a series of pictures that portray the document as moving on the display screen such that a user may drag a document and then release the pointer from the document, whereupon either: the page continues to move in a direction established by the velocity detector until the user indicates that the document is to stop moving; or the velocity decreases by a page inertia until it reaches zero velocity. A method for providing interface tools for manipulating a document on a display provides a tool that allows the user to adjust the prominence of selected portions of a displayed content document file in a displayed screen document, the selected portions comprising links or highlighted text.