[iBook] G4 1.2 early 2004 iBook input/output error

[Jan Georgen]

I am having problems accessing and/or formatting a 60g/7200 hard  
drive in my daughter's iBook. It will appear in Disk Utility but when  
selected to erase, I get an input/output error. What does this mean  
in terms of fixing? Replace the hard drive and/or cable or something  
more serious (as though tearing this down again is easy!)? I get the  
chime when booting then the gray screen with Apple, nothing more.  
Unless booting from an install disk; then I can get to the select a  
drive for installation and nothing appears. any ideas?

Thanks

Jan Georgen