Well my player never leaves my bag because it comes with a full-functioning lcd remote so it's always protected. It also comes with a leather case and feels sturdy too, but I wouldn't go dropping it on the street to test it out, since it is a hard drive based player and not solid state.
Up to you though, $150-200 for a 1-2 gb solid state or $250-400 for a 20-40gb hard drive.