Comparing multi-touch tabletops and multi-mouse single-display groupware setups
Thomas E. Hansen, Juan Pablo Hourcade · 2010
In spite of all the attention paid to multi-touch tabletop displays, little is known about the collaborative tasks they are best suited for in comparison to alternatives such as multi-mouse Single-Display Groupware setups. In this paper, we share the results of a study we conducted comparing a multi-mouse Single-Display Groupware (SDG) setup (two mice, 15 vertical display) to a multi-touch tabletop display (81cm by 61cm) for visual tasks that require coordination and collaboration. In the study, participants were more efficient when using the multi-mouse SDG setup, but preferred the multi-touch tabletop. We use the study as a platform for discussing how to interpret results from studies that compare an exciting technology to one that is not.