Shell out for a shell?

Has your kid come home with the dreadful news yet? Not a bad report card. Or detention. But the iPod you shelled out $300 bucks for is busted. The screen is cracked or the hard drive is shot just from being driven too hard.

There are lots of iPod cases on the market, many of them soft and colorful. But iPod accessory makers are getting as wise as iPod owners, who have figured out their fragile MP3 players may need more than aesthetics to provide cover.

Digital Lifestyle Outfitters has introduced the DLO nanoShell line, hard-shell, see-through cases for iPod nanos in five bright colors and openings for easy access to controls. And it's a good price for some extra protection: $14.99.

Other hard cases are priced higher. Matias Armor is an anondized aluminum shell with a protective foam interior. The case covers the entire iPod, which you can access by flipping open an aluminum door ($9.95 for mini iPods, $24.95 for a nano case and $39.95 for the larger iPod models.) Saunders makes aluminum rhino-skin cases with clear polycarbonate fronts for nanos ($29.95) and iPod video models ($34.95).

Are these hard shells worth shelling out more iPod-related dollars?