Symantec on Tuesday announced Norton Ghost 2002, an update from Version 2001. Besides improved performance, Symantec said Norton Ghost -- the home and small business version of Symantec Ghost Corporate Edition -- has also been optimized for use with Microsoft Corp.'s forthcoming operating system Windows XP.

Norton Ghost allows users to take a snapshot of their hard drive and transfer that image to other computers or store it as a backup. The disk image can be saved on a hard drive or on removable storage media, according to a statement from Symantec. In addition to the various Microsoft Windows versions, Norton Ghost also supports Linux, Symantec said. The estimated retail price for Norton Ghost 2002 is $69.95. Packs for five users and 10 users are available for an estimated $279.95 and $559.95, respectively, Symantec said. The product is available in stores as well as online direct from Symantec