Faceted search on coordinated tablets and tabletop: a comparison

Large interactive displays and surfaces are useful modalities for visualizing big multi-dimensional data sets. They can offer simultaneous views on different facets of the data which lead to an efficient and effective environment for data exploration and analysis. While every data analyst and enthusiast can benefit from these advantages, large interactive systems are not yet available to everyone. Meanwhile, tablets have become ubiquitous and relatively cheap. Combining multiple tablets to replicate a single, large display has therefore become an affordable option. This paper compares the difference in search performance and user perception of a faceted search system for Cultural Heritage data on a single large interactive tabletop with a system composed of multiple coordinated tablet devices. We conclude that, while users generally prefer the tabletop system, there is no negative impact on search performance using tablets. This makes coordinated tablets a viable and portable solution in the absence of interactive tabletops.