My macBook did this today:
Spinning beachball of doom.
Got stuck.
So I turned off, turned back on, then:
Nothing.
Grey screen.
Click, click, click.
Flashing folder sign with question mark in.
That’s it.
Not good.
Lucky me, I have extended Apple cover. I rang them and they said “Oh, sounds like your hard-drive.”
I rang my localish Apple place and they said “Oh dear. Sounds like your hard-drive.”
I can take it in and they can replace it. Apparently this is a common thing. The guy said “We live and die by our hard-drive’s. I lost mine earlier this year. They are fragile. They go, all of a sudden.” It will take 3 weeks though. Three weeks!
I feel a bit lost. I have become very used to my beloved Mac. Now I am on my sons stupid pc. It’s all weird and clunky and slow and static.
When this happened to my old desktop pc I was stuck without any computer access for a while, and it felt very wrong. This is much better, I don’t know what I am moaning about really. But it feels BAD. I am unhappy with the situation. And I didn’t back up. Oh no I didn’t. Stupid huh? So, potentially I have lost my photos and itunes, and maybe some words. The stories I am not so concerned about, some are at zoetrope where I have a wee office, some are at Fiction Workhouse, some I had the foresight to send to a googlemail address. Phew. Except now I remember that there were all sorts of little bobbins that I typed in and thought I’d work with later. Grr.
Sara Crowley 
oh dear. you poor thing. very sorry indeed.
SaraMy computer (not as sophisticated as a Mac – just a dusty old laptop)has also died, infected with something or other. I have lost all my emails and contact addresses…but my documents seem OK. It flies off tonight to a miraculous computer man who is used to my technological stupidity.I have another laptop but it’s not the same. My computer is like a drug…so I understand and empathise.Maybe our machines have planned a mass suicide?Chin up…….hope you are back soon with the writing……
Gosh.Sending a metaphorical plaster….
Mac’s a dumbass.