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The XO's rubberised keyboard is designed to prevent dust and dirt from entering the PC, which is intended for use in developing nations, but last year went on sale to US consumers as part of a "give one get one" initiative.

However, a problem a with the insulation between the keyboard's conductive membranes is causing stuck or broken keys, with the ALT key reported to be particularly vulnerable.

"I got my XO around 20 December 2007. Two weeks later the keyboard failed with a 'stuck on' Alt key," writes one user on the <

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OLPC news forum. "I RMA'd [returned] the machine on 4 January 2008 and the replacement arrived around 20 January. Yesterday (13 April), the keyboard of the replacement XO also failed, this time with a 'stuck on' Ctrl key."

"The stuck keys of the internal keyboard get stuck on every few second - even when I am not typing on the XO keyboard!" writes another user. "I then have to 'massage' the XO keys, they unstick, and then I go back to typing on my external USB keyboard."

The OLPC website hosts a wiki dedicated to the stuck keys problem, which suggests various workarounds, such as disabling the affected keys or cleaning underneath the keyboard with an alcohol solution.

The keyboard issue is just the latest in a series of problems that have beset the charity project, including a near-doubling of the intended $100 price and various production problems.