Trouble booting iBook

I'm having problems similar to those many people are having on here: my iBook recently started having trouble booting up. When I try, I get the chimes, but after that nothing happens; there's just a blank dark screen. The whirring noise that usually accompanies start-up is noticeably absent. So far, if I let it sit, off, for anywhere between 10 - 30 minutes it does eventually start up, but I know it'll only get worse. Once it does get running, it runs perfectly, so I'm at a loss. Any idea what's going on and what I can do about it?

Welcome to the Forum.
Could be a failing HD. Insert your installation disc and restart holding down the 'C' key. Once booted up, open Disk Utility from the options menu and run verify disk. See if that gives you any indication.

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