How to detect a textbox's content has changed

I want to detect whenever a textbox's content has changed. I can use the keyup method, but that will also detect keystrokes which do not generate letters, like the arrow keys. I thought of two methods of doing this using the keyup event:

1. Check explictly if the ascii code of the pressed key is a letter\backspace\delete
2. Use closures to remember what was the text in the textbox before the key stroke and check whether this has changed.

Both look kinda cumbersome.

Start observing 'input' event instead of 'change'.

jQuery('#some_text_box').on('input', function() {
    // do your stuff
});

...which is nice and clean, but may be extended further to:

jQuery('#some_text_box').on('input propertychange paste', function() {
    // do your stuff
});

Use the onchange event in HTML/standard JavaScript.

In jQuery that is the change() event. For example:

$('element').change(function() { // do something } );

EDIT

After reading some comments, what about:

$(function() {
    var content = $('#myContent').val();

    $('#myContent').keyup(function() { 
        if ($('#myContent').val() != content) {
            content = $('#myContent').val();
            alert('Content has been changed');
        }
    });
});

The 'change' event doesn't work correctly, but the 'input' is perfect.

$('#your_textbox').bind('input', function() {
    /* This will be fired every time, when textbox's value changes. */
} );