iBook problem..

[Joe]

A friend is getting strange sounds from her iBook, I think she needs to 
get the HD repaired, but you all seem to know more than me...lol... 
Here's her description:

"..kay, lately my ibook (white, circa july 2001) has been making louder 
noises than before. it doesn't do it enough for me to really freak out 
about it, but still i've noticed a significant increase in frequency 
and volume of these noises. i'm not versed in computer hardware at all, 
so i'll try to describe the sound (and fall flat on my face, i'm sure): 
you know that sound computers make when they're processing something? 
this was particularly noticeable in those old macs where you could just 
hear them churning away ... it's not that noticeable in the 
post-revival macs, but lately with my ibook i hear that sound a lot, 
and i've noticed a definite scraping quality to it. like something in 
it is grinding against or scratching something it isn't supposed to be. 
like a metallic pick or something. i can't for the life of me figure 
out WHY it's making these noises so often now. the last time i even 
MOVED the ibook was in late september, and the noises didn't really 
start until two, three weeks ago. i don't know, am i being paranoid? 
although i think if you own an ibook, you'd feel the same way about 
yours :) is this, like, normal for ibooks over a year old? or should i 
be worried? there's also a noise that sounds half like clicking, half 
like you're trying to twist open an advil cap or something but you're 
not doing it the right way so it doesn't come off but just rotates in 
place, making a, well, clicking noise. tonight specifically i hear it 
when i switch to photoshop and do something there. so it's probably 
related to high CPU usage? the noises seem to be coming from the left 
half of the keyboard. no signs of overheating."