Bangalore: Ashtel India Pvt Ltd, a subsidiary of the Ashtel group based in London, United Kingdom, has launched the 'e-book', an electronic product that will enable users to transfer their work files and books onto a portable and very sleek hand held device, according to an official press release.

The e-book has a storage capacity in the range of 8 MB to 512 MB (or 520,000 pages) on it, having a variety of applications and many uses. It is targeted at the education sector, the health sector and even possibly the defence sector, whereby reference books, maps and journals can be stored on it. The e-book uses very little battery power and if the batteries are taken out, the page remains on the screen for up to 24 hours, the release said.

The e-book is a hand-held device and its screen size measures 6.5 inches diagonally, making its screen one of the largest in the personal digital assistants (PDA) market, according to the release.

Priced at Rs 6,000 upwards, the idea behind the e-book is to transfer books varying from educational books to legal journals, allowing the user to have all information stored practically in the palm of their hands, the release said.

The 'e-book', which is already a runaway success in the UK and China, and now entering the Indian market, hopes to transform the average book into a "tech tool", the release added.