Sometimes it's better to be ignorant . . .

. . . when it comes to computers. This weekend I ran a diagnostic test on my G4 tower, since I noticed it had been running slower than usual. I've had the computer since early 2001 and it's been a fantastic help. Anyway, I ran the diagnostic using the disk utilities that come with the computer and I discovered that my Hard Drive was "FAILING" in red letters. I started to freak. I backed up all my teaching files and all my poems. I burned those to disk. I e-mailed copies of my manuscript to myself. I dragged file copies to another hard drive. Basically, I did everything the techies tell you to do. So, I checked online to see what one does when a hard drive begins to fail and it said that I need to replace the hard drive. :-( ACK! I'm worried about the cost. I'm also wondering if the parts will be available for the computer because it's an older model of G4 and the technology in drives, etc. has advanced. Basically, knowing all this stuff has created money anxiety. I don't know if I can 1) afford a new hard drive and 2) afford a new computer. Additionally, I need a computer for teaching, printing, writing, . . . writing you guys. *sigh* Maybe this is just the excuse I need to shell out some cash for a G5. . . :-) I've always wanted one of those.