1. In a computer having a display device, a system for displaying a user interface to an operating system as a hypertext multimedia document on the display device, comprising: a graphical user interface for providing a windowing environment supporting a plurality of windows displayed on the display device according to a front to back order wherein a window towards the front in the order overlaps any windows farther back in the order which are displayed in a same area of the display device; and a desktop in the windowing environment of the graphical user interface for providing a view of a hypertext multimedia document as a full-screen graphical background display over which the windows are displayed.