Wanted: Your opinions on flip-able pages

I’d just like to say a big thank you to everyone who replied to my original email (before I duplicated the content here) and gave me their opinions.

Just to summarise a few of the responses I received:

• “I personally don’t like these as they’re soo gimmicky. If they include page/chapter links and give you the option to turn all the effects off then that’s a little better. The only potential I can see is for print demonstration and proofing: i.e. a printer or publisher could use something like this to give their client a good idea of what their printed material will look like, and perhaps enable simple amendments to be made there and then, before anything goes to press.”
• “I agree… [with the comment above] – trying to make the web work like print is a step backwards, page turning is only a good experience if you can feel the quality of the paper!”
• “On the plus side – it’s swish and very arty – great for work like that. On the negative side – big file – you have to download all the pages before you can view it (not unlike PDF) and the resolution appears less than normal. For on-line brochures it’s great – but if it was for example tech specs for a manufacturing company I probably wouldn’t use it – there’s definitely a market for it though.”
• “I did something slightly more basic, but it got a good reception at the time.”
• “Those pages look flipping clever! But you are right I’d flipping annoyed by about page four. They could be nice for children’s story telling or aimed at a very broad public if the concept fitted with the bigger message or fine art types but not a techno-audience.”