User interface system and method for selectively displaying a portion of a display screen

A computer system or computing device includes a display for displaying the visual output of any number of software applications. A computer-implemented method of selectively displaying a magnified rendering of a portion of the display screen is executed on the computer system or computing device. The method allows the user to select a portion of the display screen for magnification. and then displays a magnified rendering of that portion of the display screen. The magnified rendering retains the functional and interactive aspects of the underlying, non-magnified source content. The method also provides a configurable means of controlling the amount of magnification in the magnified rendering. The method permits using the magnified rendering to pan around within the underlying, non-magnified source content.