A comparative ergonomics study: Performing reading-based tasks on a large-scale tabletop vs. laptop

In certain newer computer applications, such as the Microsoft Surface®, the system usually has a large screen and is horizontally placed. Accordingly, different ergonomic considerations must be addressed in these new applications. In this study, several ergonomic aspects of two typical systems were experimentally measured and compared: a large-scale tabletop (LST) with a 47-inch LCD screen vs. a 14-inch regular laptop. The measurements included user-preferred view area and field of view, brightness, background color design, reading and answering task completion time, as well as subjective indices to measure users’ comfort, fatigue, perceived easiness, perceived efficiency, and overall satisfaction. The results show that reading-based task performance and users’ subjective indices on an LST were significantly lower than on a laptop, whereas background color preference was similar. Relevance to industry: Future LST application designs must address these differences in order to improve effectiveness, efficiency, and user satisfaction.

► Investigated ergonomic issues associated with reading tasks on two kinds of screens. ► Objective and subjective indices were compared to evaluate ergonomics performances. ► All indices with Large Screen Tabletop (LST) were worse than laptop screen. ► Future LST application designs must address ergonomic issues raised in the study.