Tablet PCs, flat notebook-style computers you write on, are hot - literally. Not only are the latest versions that are running Microsoft's Windows XP for Tablet PC Edition so new you may never have seen one, they can also be too hot to handle.

David Followell, head of business futures and usability at Nationwide, says: "You have to be careful about where the heat dispersal unit is located; some of our staff have complained about overheating when they have them on their laps."

Nevertheless, he is a big fan of the devices, which are made by PC manufacturers including Acer, HP, Fujitsu Siemens, ViewSonic and Toshiba.

Nationwide started trying out Tablet PCs a year ago, because it wanted to remove the barrier that technology can create between customer and banker. The plan is for Nationwide staff carrying Tablets to to shorten any queues by dealing with simple inquiries on the spot.

Even complex inquiries, such as a customer wanting a mortgage, will be conducted in a more informal way among comfy couches more reminiscent of a coffee shop. Nationwide's personal bankers will be able to sit facing the customer instead of being divided by a desk and PC.

But Nationwide is not about to put in a huge order. Not yet, at least.

Followell says: "The issue that we've got is that we have to fundamentally change the layout of the branches. We have to look at how we redesign them and what kind of support roving staff need."

Nationwide also has some concerns about the battery life and weight of the devices currently on the market. "Battery life is about three-and-a-half to four hours," says Followell.

"The Wi-Fi card takes a bit of power out. We need eight hours because we can't have them expiring while we're dealing with a customer."

But Followell has not been put off. "We've talked to the manufacturers and all sorts of lighter, longer-lasting machines are being developed [Nationwide currently uses mostly HP and Acer Tablets but has tried other models too.] What we really want is something that looks like the screen of a laptop computer that simply connects to the nearest computer server, but stores little information itself."

This would have two benefits. First a device stolen from a branch would have no useful information on it as soon as it was outside the perimeter of the branch and the Wi-Fi network. Second, creating a "thin" web browser interface to the information would reduce the amount of data that had to be sent to and fro over the wireless network.

Nationwide advises IT managers to create an area of their intranet for sharing tips on the Digital Ink handwriting software, for users who aren't familiar with it. For instance, it had a number of callers who had discovered that Digital Ink can be switched on by waving the pen-stylus across the bottom of the screen.

There isn't much learning time needed because Windows XP enables people to use Microsoft Office and do most of the things they can do with Windows 2000 on a desktop PC.

However, getting software applications built by Nationwide to work over a wireless network (most are designed to interact with fixed networks rather than send data as small packets of information) can be difficult.

"We are having to prioritise which software we move across," says Followell. But his message is that Tablets can be good for you. .