A Usability Analysis of the Multi-window Working Environment Modified for a Tablet PC

A Tablet PC is now used not only for reading books and watching videos, but also for various work tasks such as creating business documents and analyzing data. However, while graphics performance and other specifications of the tablet PC have improved over the years, the basic application usage is similar on all devices, that is, a user maximizes any application window and uses it in full-screen mode. The question remains as to whether the maximized single window is truly appropriate for performing various tasks on a tablet PC. In fact, multi-window environments facilitate multitasking on desktop or laptop PCs. We analyzed the usability of the multi-window environment on a tablet PC through experiments in which subjects performed simple tasks while switching between two or more windows. The results revealed that while the multi-window environment has great potential to perform multitasking on a tablet PC, the ability to automatically adjust the positions/sizes of multiple application windows is needed.