Is the writing on the walls for tabletops?

We describe an ethnographic study that examines how low-tech and high-tech surfaces support creativity and collaboration during a workshop breakout session. The low-tech surfaces included post-it notes, flipcharts, and walls. The high tech surface comprised a multi-touch tabletop. Input was either by pen or fingertips. The breakout session comprised four groups using the different surfaces and inputs during three phases: i) brief presentation of position papers and discussion of themes, ii) creating a group presentation and iii) a report back session. During these phases, collaboration and creativity were found to be either restricted or facilitated depending on the physical, technological and social factors at play when using the different surfaces and inputs. We discuss why this is the case, noting how tabletops might not be such a good surface as low tech materials for supporting this form of collaborative experience.