  The paper presents a 3D interactive representation of fairly large picture
collections which facilitates browsing through unstructured sets of icons or
pictures. Implementation of this representation implies choosing between two
visualization strategies: users may either manipulate the view (OV) or be
immersed in it (IV). The paper first presents this representation, then
describes an empirical study (17 participants) aimed at assessing the utility
and usability of each view. Subjective judgements in questionnaires and
debriefings were varied: 7 participants preferred the IV view, 4 the OV one,
and 6 could not choose between the two. Visual acuity and visual exploration
strategies seem to have exerted a greater influence on participants'
preferences than task performance or feeling of immersion.
