I've been having considerable problems with my Dell laptop keyboard. Several of the keys (SHFT, CTRL, and 'c') only work if you pound them, hard, and the 'a' key keeps repeaaaaaaaaaaating.

Thinking that the keyboard needed cleaning, I grabbed an index card and started digging around underneath the keys.

Cat hairs. Thousands and thousands of cat hairs. Underneath every key is a little wad of silvery fur. Even after I removed about a cat's worth of fur, I still had to pound the 'c', and the 'a' still keeps repeating, because I can't get out all the aaaaaaaat haaaaairs.

Today the decision about getting a new keyboard was made for me when I clicked the 'a' key and the top went flying off across the room.