How NOT to fix a keyboard.
 

First off, let me say that this is a laptop. The one I'm typing this on, actually.
Let me also say that this is not necessarily my fault, as my family is pretty bad about not having food and other things around the computer. I've found food, rocks, tiny balls of paper, and other things under my keys before.

So, just a few minutes ago, I noticed my nine key wasn't working. Naturally, I needed to get the thing out from under it to be able to press it down. So, like always, I popped it off. Problem is, my eMachines uses some sort of sawhorse design with a rubber stopper, which depends heavily on both clips and pegs in its design. In fact, it had clips on the right side and pegs on the left. And it's usually easier to take it off by lifting the left side and allowing to top pegs to slide out of their baskets.

Apparently not this time.

Not one, but BOTH pegs broke. This is a first for me. Luckily, I was able to find one and procure some super glue from the IT department. Which was embarrassing in itself walking into their office and asking for super glue to fix my laptop. In retrospect, the looks on their faces will probably be funny, but right now, not so much. I'm currently waiting for the glue to dry so I can give it a second coat for good measure and hopefully not have it break off again, as my warranty is expired and they'd want me to send it in for a whole new keyboard at Best Buy.

When pulling off a laptop key, ALWAYS go for the clips. It's safer.

Thanks for providing further evidence as to why laptops are the worst idea ever concocted by man.

Just something about a 1GHz processor that turns me off. Well, that and the fact that they break more often that they turn on correctly.

I don't mean to hate on you specifically Blue, really I don't want it interpreted that way. I just can't understand the usefulness of having a laptop.

Portability. Beats dragging my desktop back and forth to school.

Not only that, but this one has pretty nice specs. Enough that with my recent RAM upgrade, it should last me probably another 5 or so years before I actually "need need" another one. It runs Paint.NET, Oblivion, and OpenOffice, so I'm pretty much happy.

I have to say that having a laptop is really nice, you can take it where you need it and some of the nicer ones run better than a lot of desktops. I have one that I run all the stuff I need off of: Photoshop and the rest of the Adobe Creative Suite and all the fun Microsoft programs you need. It can also run games pretty well but, that isn't what a laptop is for, that's what a super duper gaming PC is for.
This laptop is also like 5 years old and still works fine.

This is a very short sighted view. There are many situations where a laptop is useful. A college student can bring it into class to take notes, others take them on planes to work/entertain themselves during the flight. I personally move my computer around my house constantly, so having a lappy is a godsend.

And 1 GHz? Pfft. There are plenty of models out now much much better processing power than that. Mine, which is a few years old, is 1.7 Ghz, and works perfectly fine for everything I do.

Also: I have just as many problems with my desktop as I do with my laptop. It might be a little harder to fix, but that's the price you pay for portability (and they're in the process of making this point moot anyway).

I don't have a laptop at the moment (been meaning to get one) but I simply could not function as a uni student without the 40 gig of storage I carry around.
Portability=win.

I just simply don't like laptops. The only advantage they have over a desktop is their size and portability. That's ABOUT IT.

Portability is critical though.
For example, as a student, I'll run experiments on one computer, run upstairs, type them up on another computer, head to my lecture for notes, need to get some stuff of the tutors, use a different machine hooked up to different computer, type more stuff up (but old computer has been stolen! curses!) and then go home and do more work. Portability=ace.
And people who work in offices find it much easier than carrying large amounts of paper around.

Yeah, I gotta agree. If you don't need portability, you don't need a laptop. Why else would you get one?

...Yeah, this laptop has seen better days. Surprisingly resilient, though. Like the one time I accidentally laughed while drinking Fruitopia and using my computer at the same time... there are still little smudges.