Swapped out hard drive, now can't start machine

The last time I was working on my iMac, it froze and I force quit Safari, I then used the power button on the back of the machine to turn it off. The 150GB hard drive is full with only about 10GB free space. Before checking the machine to see if it would start up properly again, I foolishly took out the hard drive and replaced it with a larger one. My intention was to copy back my data from my external backup drive via Carbon Copy Cloner onto this new larger drive. Unfortunately I can't get the computer to start now. I've attempted to start from the OSX disk and the c key, but that does not work. I've tried to start from an external disk via shift-command-option-delete to no avail. I've put the old drive back in but can't get it to be recognized either. I've pulled both 1GB RAM modules and returned the original sticks, just to see if the RAM was bad, not difference. I can't get the disk utilities window either.
Am I fried? I do not have either Disk Warrior or Tech Tools. Would either help?

My mistake, you are correct, holding mouse down would eject didk. Yes, that is correct, I can not start from the optical drive by holding the c key, or the option key. I've tried to also start from an external firewire disk with OSX on it, with out success.
I have tried to start up in single user mode with command s, but can get only to a black screen and fans turning loudly, no blue screen, no grey screen, just blackness.
Am I correct in thinking I should be able to get to the screen where it will ask me if I want to format the new hard drive? Right now, if I understand things correctly, there is no operating system on the computer now, because I've changed hard drives (OS lives on hard drive, doesn't it?). If that is the case I should still be given a dialogue box which would offer to format the drive in preperation for installing the operatering system, yes?
Thanks for hanging in there with me through this.
John

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