Macbook won't boot

My Macbook has been non-functional for months. Sorry I didn't report this sooner. My findings so far is that the hard disk is bad...I can boot the system up with the Apple install disk and can't see the hard disk.

Now, I could replace it myself, but I've been meaning to use the AppleCare experience to see how Apple handles this. I've been dreading it getting shipped but I also have some other issues that they can maybe address. For one, I've the yellow staining of the area to the sides of the touchpad. I also have a touchpad button that sometimes hangs.

I'm hoping the Genius people can fix it without having it shipped out...the possibility is high that it will be shipped if I complain about the staining, but I'm hoping the Genius will see it and notice it without me saying anything.

I may visit the Apple store in Tyson Corner the coming Monday, but I've been saying similar things for awhile. It may be in my best interest to just get a hard drive locally and replace the bad one to see if that fixes the issue. I'd say my chances are better that the drive is bad instead of it being a SATA controller issue, but we'll see one way or another, I guess.

Macbook Air Cracked in Minutes

http://blogs.computerworld.com/macbook_pwned_in_two_minutes_and_fly_me

Apparently, there's an issue with Safari...another reason yet again to use Firefox, especially since there is now the Firekeeper plugin.