Suppose you do decide to brave the crowds and your own gastrointestinal discomfort to score a 10%-off iPod the day after Thanksgiving: discount notwithstanding, that's a pretty pricey hunk of deliciousness you'll have gotten yourself, there. So what are you going to do to protect it? Oh, sure, you can get it a spiffy custom case with neoprene shock absorbers, water-resistant use-thru control membranes, and a built-in mini-LoJack to aid in recovery in the case of theft-- but none of that can protect you from the heartbreak of out-of-warranty hardware failure.

Now, we know it's not the sort of subject people like to think about, but don't kid yourself-- it does happen, and you need to make darn sure than your family and loved ones are protected in the case of such a catastrophe. That's why we're pleased as punch to see that Apple has finally instituted an AppleCare Protection Plan for iPod, which fully doubles the iPod's warranty and thus grants iPod owners an extra year of that peace of mind we all crave so desperately.

But wait, AppleCare is more than just extended hardware coverage; it also stretches the iPod's included telephone support from 90 days to two years (thus ensuring that you'll always have someone to talk to when you're bored or lonely), and includes support for all included iPod accessories and iTunes. Really, can you put a price tag on that sort of loving care? No? Well, Apple could, and the price it came up with was $59.

It's nice to see that Apple's attitude toward iPod service continues to improve. You might recall that when the iPod first made the scene, it had a piddly 90-day warranty that caused something of a ruckus among the Apple fans who were actually paying attention; that was eventually extended to a year. And now, for just $59 clams more, paranoid types can rest assured that their iPods won't leave them in the lurch for a full two years from the date of purchase. (Geez, put this together with the official battery service program and it's almost like Apple cares about its customers or something.)

Florida-dwelling iPodians, however, are out of luck; the Apple Store specifies that "the AppleCare Protection Plan cannot be sold to consumers residing in Florida," and while no reason is given, AtAT sources at One Infinite Loop quote Steve as saying that "Floridians don't know how to rock." Oooh, harsh!