I'm Back! & Thoughts on Warranties

The good news: My computer is back and fully functional.

The bad news: I lost everything on my hard drive, and I hadn't backed much up, which stinks.

More good news: I paid $0 for the cost of repairs/replacement which would've totaled $300+, thanks to the extended warranty my parents got me when I bought the computer. (I paid for the computer myself, but the purchase took place right after my college graduation, and the extended warranty-- which cost about $190-- was part of my graduation present from my parents.) It turns out that it has paid off financially-- the $190 plan has now covered at least $400 worth of expenses, and it's still good another 14 months or so-- but I had originally decided against it, and it's only thanks to my parents' generosity that I ended up with it. I've called them up and thanked them again profusely for that gift!

So to make this semi-topical, how do you approach things like extended warranties? Do you think they make good financial sense in general, and/or for specific items?