Conked Out!

This just in: Our laptop just conked out. Just won't start--I'm typing from V.'s desktop.
It's frsutrating because, to be honest, digital makes me feel totally impotent. I keep switching on and off the computer--and that's all I can really do.
With analog, you could (note the tense here) somehow try to fix it--with video tapes, you could take the tape out, and clean it, and do something that made you think you could! But with DVDs, for instance, if it doesn't play, it's gone!
I'm beginning to rethink writing on the computer--maybe I should take printouts or something?
Anyway, wish us luck!