I must admit I’m something of a late-comer to touch screen technology. In fact, since my bartending stint a while back—and the primitive touch screen ordering system we used—I’ve more or less stayed away. Sure, I’ve played around with iPhones and iPads, but I find the small screen problematic. If only the easy user interface could be projected onto, say, a 46” flat screen… I might fall in love. And so I have with Agati’s Elements Media T1 Visions Social Touchscreen.

Elements Media T1 Visions Interactive Touchscreen. Manufactured by Agati.

Agati’s T1 Visions Interactive Touchscreen Promotes Enhanced Collaboration

Nor is it productive to think of the T1 Touchscreen as competitive with the iPhone or iPad. To the contrary, the technology is designed to work with such products, as it is, at heart, “a means to share digital content from smart phones, tablets, laptops, the web, or even a USB drive.”

The T1 Visions Touchscreen displays content from multiple devices onto one large viewing screen, cleverly inset into Agati’s handsome half round media table top (in your choice of wood veneer, solid wood, or plastic laminate, no less).

The technology is not only a godsend for corporate environments, but educational venues as well, as it removes the clutter of multiple devices upon a table in favor of one clean, attractive, and interactive surface. Users can connect either via the module’s undertable sliding tray (which easily hides a Mac Mini), or they can broadcast wirelessly.

Because of the easy connectivity (Vision can connect up to four laptops simultaneously), the module works with nearly any software, but its principal applications include a Media Viewer (digital photos are “scattered” on the touchscreen for manipulation by any connected user); a touch-based browser that allows four users to connect to the web simultaneously; and a presentation viewer that acts as an oversized, interactive whiteboard.

Essentially, The T1 Visions Touchscreen gives everyone a seat at the same, data-rich collaborative electronic table. No matter whether we’re talking about college students or corporate execs, enhanced collaboration is achieved as users share and manipulate data, illustrating concepts and demonstrating points by transmitting touchscreen images directly to the large viewing screen.

About the Manufacturer: Agati manufactures furniture for clients in the education, hospitality, healthcare, and corporate markets. The company’s pieces and collections “are tailored to meet the functional, aesthetic, and technological needs” of their diverse clientele. Started by Joe Agati in the 1970s, Agati designed the Agati Petro series, which is now part of the Chicago Historical Society’s permanent collection. Known for their excellent customer service, Agati offers the option to modify their standard furniture “to convey each building’s architectural message.”