Multilinear reading requires students to make critical choices about which passage of text or point of view they will access next. The complexity of these decisions depends on the type of document and the design of the hypertext system. For example, HyperCard documents that reside on a single computer have fewer connecting texts than networked systems. Apple Computer's HyperCard is a relatively simple system to navigate. HyperCard uses the central metaphor of a stack of cards.
Students view one card at a time on the computer screen.
Additionally, links between cards can be easily created by adding buttons. Visual iconic buttons are used in HyperCard to move the reader forward, backward and to linked texts. Clicking on a button with the mouse will direct the student to the linked card of information. Finding and selecting linked cards is as simple as identifying a button and clicking on it with the mouse. In contrast, networked hypertexts can be very complex.