a flashing file folder! must be one of those "hidden bonuses"

I just have one thing to say, "what the ****?" I got a 10gig ipod for my 21st birthday, bought in the end of January 2004. Now, I have always kept it in a jam jacket and it does have it's typical scratches but I cared for my baby always. It started to flash some stupid file folder thing at me, then the Apple logo. ***? so, I take it to Best Buy where I purchased it (with the performance service plan, mind you all) and the guy tells me that they dont carry 10g anymore in stores, but they have to send it to Apple. Besides being rude as **** to me (probably thought I didn't know anything b/c i'm just some stupid college kid at a division I school, right?) I WANT MY IPOD!!!!!!!!! I love it so dearly, actually, I am hoping that they send me a new one instead of repairing it because of all the **** i've gone through for it. Anyway, does anyone else have issues like that? with the file folder? resetting the ipod didn't work.

If it is a flashing folder with a question mark in the center of it. This normally means that your system can not fine a bootable drive or valid OS.

So your hard disk (bad) may have crashed or your iPod OS is corrupted. Since Apple does not stock the 10Gb any more, hopefully you at least a 15Gb for a replacement,