A sour Apple

I know what you all are going to say: "That's what you get for being so loyal to Apple." Nothing but bad news. Expensive bad news, too.
The iBook died a few days ago ... in a bad way. It suddenly wouldn't boot up properly, and all I would get on the screen is that random folder image with the question mark in it. This afternoon, I took it to the "Genius Bar" at my local Apple store, and was given an ominous diagnosis.
The hard drive is cracked out, i.e., the computer has the "click of death." This phrasing is techno-geek fabulous, and means that the drive has suffered some mechanical failure, and is no longer functioning. Oh yeah, "and if you haven't backed up in a while, you've probably lost all your data," the Genius says. Terrific. I'll tell you what I said to him, and then to my mother (much to her horror): I've never backed up my computer. I don't even know how.
So what's on this suddenly worthless piece of plastic laptop? Five years of financial records; the entire iPod library (which isn't that big a deal since the iPod also has the entire library. I guess that's my back up there); and, much to my sadness, everything I've written since college (term papers, reports and every article I've authored for every magazine I've worked for). Grr.
And here's the fun part: for Apple to fix it, it'll probably cost upwards of $350. The Genius gave me some cards for some guys that also work magic on Apples, and they should be able to beat that price by at least $100, he says. Let's hope so.
I'm really in a bit of a heartbreak over the whole thing. I do so love the Apple. And unfortunately, I don't have the cash to just write it off and buy a new iMac.