[Q] Creaky creaky! - Eee Pad Transformer Q&A, Help & Troubleshooting

I hate to nit-pick and I'm generally happy and relieved that I simply even got a unit, but both my left and right side are now creaky.. even the bottom is starting a bit.
I still have a week left, what should I do? Should I just return the unit and wait it out? Do anything think theres a way to stop the creaking?

Mine does the same, I am going to just accept it as others have this issue as well.

define creak? Mine has some flex in the back but no actual sound accompanying it.

docangle said:
Mine does the same, I am going to just accept it as others have this issue as well.
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Ya I've read that it's fairly widespread, but does yours creak on 3/4 of the sides? or just the left side?

seshmaru said:
define creak? Mine has some flex in the back but no actual sound accompanying it.
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definitely with sound. it clicks

Nope none of that.
PS: I've had it for 2 weeks now.

Mine creaks on the 3/4 of the right side. That is if i press it/hold it hard enough. Usually I'm cradling it with both hands or having it attached to the keyboard dock, so it's not that big of a deal for me.

And we wonder how they got this tablet down to $400 Mine creaks on the upper right if I apply a little pressure (like if I hold it with one hand on that side), but it's not like it creaks enough to drive me crazy, or even drive me irritated. You sacrifice build quality for hitting that magic $400 price point, it is what it is.

If there is flex, then there means that there is empty space. If that's the case, why isn't the TF slimmer?!

dfin13 said:
And we wonder how they got this tablet down to $400 Mine creaks on the upper right if I apply a little pressure (like if I hold it with one hand on that side), but it's not like it creaks enough to drive me crazy, or even drive me irritated. You sacrifice build quality for hitting that magic $400 price point, it is what it is.
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I'm sorry but that's simply false
My European HTC hero back cover creaked from the start and that thing has only seen torment for the past 2 years (7 ft. plus drops multiple times a week, don't ask ;_; ) and it's in full working order, undamaged. Creaky plastic does not signify build quality.

Mine creaks on the right hand side but I generally hold it with my left hand on the back of the unit or rest it on my stomach when in portrait mode, feet up sitting in my La-Z-Boy.

Had mine for 2 weeks and don't have any creaking in any orientation.

I have quite a bit of creaking as well, along with a gap on the left-hand side of the screen. I'll probably swap mine out before my 30 days is up with Amazon, and when stock is more available. I'm hoping that's how it works out, anyways.

seshmaru said:
I'm sorry but that's simply false
My European HTC hero back cover creaked from the start and that thing has only seen torment for the past 2 years (7 ft. plus drops multiple times a week, don't ask ;_; ) and it's in full working order, undamaged. Creaky plastic does not signify build quality.
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And neither does light bleed, gaps, dust under the screen, or sharp edges, I guess Look I'm fine with some cut corners, it's what you have to expect when something seems to affordable too be true. I'm not saying that the Transformer is going to fall apart in your hands, but creaky build quality is usually a result of cutting corners.

dfin13 said:
And neither does light bleed, gaps, dust under the screen, or sharp edges, I guess Look I'm fine with some cut corners, it's what you have to expect when something seems to affordable too be true. I'm not saying that the Transformer is going to fall apart in your hands, but creaky build quality is usually a result of cutting corners.
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Not everyone has lightbleed and even the iPad and iPad 2 had lightbleed issues, I doubt those were because of shoddy manufacturing.
Also the sharp edges are part of the design, I can't really relate to anyone complaining about the "sharp"corners since the angular bezel edge design really isn't that bad on your finger tips or hands.
Also my HTC hero has a dust spec under the screen, just because something isn't perfect in design doesn't mean it's shoddy manufacturing or cutting corners in manufacturing, it's just a flawed design.

Not sharp corners, sharp edges -- run your fingers along the back edge of the tablet and you'll see. Look, I don't care much about the build quality, it's satisfactory to me, but some of you are in denial

dfin13 said:
Not sharp corners, sharp edges -- run your fingers along the back edge of the tablet and you'll see. Look, I don't care much about the build quality, it's satisfactory to me, but some of you are in denial
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Not denial, my point is it's flawed design, not build quality.

Sharp edges on plastic, enough to cut if you were the careless type, are not bad design, it's cutting corners, which is build quality. Exposed plastic like that would normally be dulled so as to not be so sharp, but leaving it raw like that is a cost-cutting move, and is a build-quality issue. So is light bleeding, screen dust, and creaking.
I can't poll every Transformer owner to see if they all have the same build quality issues, but I bet if a good number ran their fingers along the back edge to check for sharpness, applied pressure to the case to hear it creak, or checked for light bleeding, they'd have one, if not all three. Things to be expected during a first run, and definitely expected when you've undercut the competition by so much. My position is if those things bother you, return it. I'm keeping mine.

dfin13 said:
Sharp edges on plastic, enough to cut if you were the careless type, are not bad design, it's cutting corners, which is build quality. Exposed plastic like that would normally be dulled so as to not be so sharp, but leaving it raw like that is a cost-cutting move, and is a build-quality issue. So is light bleeding, screen dust, and creaking.
I can't poll every Transformer owner to see if they all have the same build quality issues, but I bet if a good number ran their fingers along the back edge to check for sharpness, applied pressure to the case to hear it creak, or checked for light bleeding, they'd have one, if not all three. Things to be expected during a first run, and definitely expected when you've undercut the competition by so much. My position is if those things bother you, return it. I'm keeping mine.
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First off light bleeding is a fault of the LCD manufacturer. LG was at fault for the bad iPad 2 screens. Apple used both LG and Samsung, and only the LG ones had the issue quite regularly.
I don't have any plastic edges on mine. My plastic backing definitely fits inside the aluminum frame. I cannot feel any sharp edges along my back, and I'm trying to be nit picky for the sake of your argument. I have a slight creek in one spot on the right edge, that is the only build quality issue I have of all, and it is slight. My suggestion if you see separation or your plastic back is not inside the frame RMA it to Asus, or return to the store. It could be as simple of a fix of them taking it apart and putting it back together with more care.

I think the point is being missed here. I'm fine with the sharp edge -- hell, mine stays in the Asus case, I don't even feel it. The argument was whether or not build quality was compromised (and that includes parts from companies other than Asus, cost is cost), and I think it was. If you told me I could get a $400 tablet with an IPS screen, and I'd have to deal with a sharp edge and some creaking (I don't notice light bleed and I don't want to look for it because I don't want to notice it! ), I'd jump all over it. No need to get defensive, in the end it's just a piece of consumer electronics.

Related

Anyone's TF developing creaks?

Normally I'm not one to obsess over this sorta thing but... My one month old TF seems to creak a lot when I press on the left edge (below the buttons) and either I'm going mad (quite possible) or it's getting worse...
If I grab it by the black bezel it's solid, it's when my thumb happens to rest on the bronze edge that it feels off and creaks audibly, I can seemingly push it back against the plastic back and feel it snap in or something. The other side has a tiny bit of it but it's nowhere near as bad... I'm just worried it might be stressing the screen or could loosen even more.
Mine doesn't feel very solid as well.It's a B50 model. I don't think there is any space between screen and glass. But a lack of strength is noticeable especially compared to iPAd2.
RAMBO29 said:
Mine doesn't feel very solid as well.It's a B50 model. I don't think there is any space between screen and glass. But a lack of strength is noticeable especially compared to iPAd2.
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Agree..Price to Quality rato on TF...as well with anyother company. A reason why Apple commands a premium for QC.
I have exactly the same problem and think the creaks got worse since I bought my TF. Otherwise it's a great device but the browser is bad. And I spend 70% of the time on the tablet using it.
Mine developed the same problem down the left hand side after a couple of days of receiving it and just got worse and worse. sent it back after a week.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Zfqx9-VHuE
The replacement doesn't creak like the old one but if i squeeze the edges around the power/volume buttons the back moves in so there's some looseness. Right now i don't notice it in normal use and considering it took a month to get a replacement it's not worth sending it back. But i reckon at some point in the future i'll have to sendit in for repair.
I really like this device, and have to say i'm really impressed with the updates and that Asus seems to be listening to their customers - but the build quality in my experience is not good, i'd have happily paid an extra £50 for a more solid/robust build.
Impulses said:
Normally I'm not one to obsess over this sorta thing but... My one month old TF seems to creak a lot when I press on the left edge (below the buttons) and either I'm going mad (quite possible) or it's getting worse...
If I grab it by the black bezel it's solid, it's when my thumb happens to rest on the bronze edge that it feels off and creaks audibly, I can seemingly push it back against the plastic back and feel it snap in or something. The other side has a tiny bit of it but it's nowhere near as bad... I'm just worried it might be stressing the screen or could loosen even more.
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Lots of answers here if you search.
I agree it's super annoying.
But to venture a guess........the 3G transformer has a SIM slot in the exact location of the creaky side, soooooooo, it must be the lack of the SIM slot and included hardware that makes this thing creak. it would have been nice if Asus had stuffed something else into the WIFI model to fill the void. This is my only complaint with this device.
Mine uused to creak only on the right side bottom quarter... but I've noticed that it's been creaky in other places lately too. :/ But then again, it's not really as bad as some of what I've heard, and it's definitely more solid than my HP (which of course, was not of the envy line).
Mine creaks in the same spot as yours (OP) but I have it in a pretty nice carbon-fiber case now and it's a non-issue.
ExploreMN said:
Mine creaks in the same spot as yours (OP) but I have it in a pretty nice carbon-fiber case now and it's a non-issue.
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What is the Carbon Fiber Case you have? Where is it from?
wilx said:
What is the Carbon Fiber Case you have? Where is it from?
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http://forum.xda-developers.com/showpost.php?p=17192114&postcount=283
Mine creaked and felt a little loose at first, then it stopped and everything feels really tight, i think messing with it one night i clicked something in place, the glass seems to sit more even as well.
Sent from my Transformer TF101 using xda premium
Hmm, thanks for the feedback guys... I guess if it ever gets worse I might put the warranty to good use. Right now it's sorta irksome but not bothersome enough for me to bother just yet.
I can sorta recreate the sound from that YouTube clip but only if I push back on the copper border the press in from the plastic back (ie pushing that section back and forth from both directions)... Meaning, if you obsess over it then it'll definitely drive you crazy and you'll probably even make it worse in the long run.
During normal handling mine definitely doesn't creak quite as much. I've sorta gotten into the habit of putting more of my hand around it when picking it up (when I've noticed it creak the most) versus just grabbing it by the very edge, which pretty much mitigates the issue. No creaking at all around the longer sides without the excess wrap around border so I don't even notice in a portrait orientarion (which is how I do most of my reading).
Honestly, if this continues to be my biggest complaint after a few months, I'll be pleased as punch. I just hope it doesn't get proggresively worse. I definitely wouldn't pay $100 more for a sslightly more solid feeling device without as many ports or forms of expansion (dock/microSD), but that's just me.
Likewise, if i don't obsess over it, it's not gonna bother me - not worth sending it off for a month at the moment. But at least we've got the warranty there if it gets worse.

Microsoft Surface RT build quality

I have had my Surface RT for a few months now and I can honestly say that the build quality of Surface RT is just solid - it feels like a slab of titanium or something. It doesn't get dents, it gives dents..to walls, tables etc.
Not that I think it is a problem, especially when compared to the competition, but I am not sure the precision of the build quite matches this great solidity. I am looking to do a little comparison so I am going to list all the little tiny misfits I could find on my Surface because I am wondering if these are common or just random.
1. The kickstand is not perfectly flush with the device when closed. And it sticks out a tiny bit more on the power connector side of the Surface.
2. The thin metal plate on the back above the kickstand doesn't seem to be flush with the case near the 3.5mm audio jack. Also, at the same side it seems a bit dent inwards on the corner where it meets the plastic strip (see attached photo).
3. The screen glass seems to go just a little bit deeper into the device right below the capacitive Windows button. It's mostly flush everywhere else.
4. The whole device seems a bit bent like a boomerang. I tried putting a ruler on the screen lengthways, and the middle of the screen didn't reach the ruler.
All of these things listed are barely noticeable.
Also, though the finish seems really tough, I think it might be a bit weaker near one of the corners where some grey metal spots started appearing.
I am not having any issues with the touch cover though you can easily tell it's been used just by looking at the bending place and the rubbery corners.
Despite all this I am confident that this is by far the most stunning piece of hardware I have ever seen, especially bearing in mind it's price.
I just got my second replacement. First one had a light leak in the middle of the screen. The second one that I just returned because of dead pixels was the worst in build quality, probably just a bad batch or unit. It had all the symptoms you describe above. In addition the volume rocker was asymmetric and (-) all the way down with almost no response to a press. All three had/have the thin metal plate at the camera not entirely flush with the rest towards the audio jack. This new unit I have is otherwise perfect. the kickstand is perfectly even, the buttons are all symmetric in response. Most importantly the screen on this is perfect, no dead pixels or light leaks (only the ones at the edge which are only visible in the dark). Very happy with this one.
If you live close to an MS store I'd take it in and ask nicely if the problems you see warrant a replacement. I did and had no issues with exchange.
cheers

Dust trap issue

I should have made this thread long ago but I thought I'd be able to tolerate the problem. At the bottom of my phone between where the screen ends and the metal plate begins there is a small gap that extends the full width of the phone. I'd say about 1/2 to 2/3 mm separation. It's been there since I purchased the phone on October 30th. At the top its completely flush but on the bottom it is wide enough for dirt/dust to become trapped and has become a complete eyesore. Does any one else suffer from this? I hadn't seen anyone mention it.
I have the same issue. Guess I'm gonna have to live with it lol.. Replaced phone twice(not related to this issue) but the gap exists on all devices.
miini said:
I have the same issue. Guess I'm gonna have to live with it lol.. Replaced phone twice(not related to this issue) but the gap exists on all devices.
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I absolutely love this phone but there are some issues that are clearly starting to stand out that leads me to believe this phone was a rush job.
Just run a very thin strip of clear glue (superglue?) along the seam. Seal it up right.
There is no real good reason not to, actually. Shouldn't affect anything if it's a very small amount.
Or maybe clear silicone would be better since it would be easily removed without residue.
I don't have that gap. However, where the Black-Out section surrounding the Front Facing Cameras meet the 2nd Screen, there's some faint light-bleed ... an obvious gap in materials to the back of the camera.
This reminds me of the Blackberry Tour 9630 with similar gap ... at the end of 9 months the screen looked dirty when it was off. Those old phones were harder to take apart and clean than today's phones, so it's not much of a concern for me as it only takes 10 minutes to do this and when it goes back together it'll be easier to make a permanent fix.

Physical Drop & Scratch Resistance Report

Hi everyone,
The Essential company claims that the phone is very drop and scratch resistant thanks to the premium materials used in the phone, but sadly there are no official Essential drop tests available anywhere which is mainly due to all the problems Essential seems to be having with supplies and rolling out their first manufactured devices. There are also some reports surfacing from the very early adopters of the phone of some scuffs and scratches which never go beyond a mere mention.
I thought I would start this thread where people who have the phone can report about how the phone handles inadvertent drops and scratches and scuffs to the screen and the ceramic back. When posting, please also include a little bit of explanation as to how it happened and if possible a picture of the supposed damages to the phone.
Cheers.
dropped mine twice. 2 nicks in screen, but ceramic and titanium are fine.
This also came out today: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H9QxIvm7T90
ack154 said:
This also came out today: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H9QxIvm7T90
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I watched the video. Mous of 7 or better on the ceramic. The finish in the titanium can be damaged but noting like aluminum.
Forget about bending the phone. The phone is pretty tough. A case will protect th cosmetics.
https://www.cnet.com/videos/we-destroyed-the-essential-phone/
Seems like this will be a very durable device.
Ya for what its worth it is way way way better than any aluminum phone would do. This they got right but its the software and camera that hold it back
jerflash said:
Ya for what its worth it is way way way better than any aluminum phone would do. This they got right but its the software and camera that hold it back
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My only complaint is the camera software.
Other than that, I don't have any issues.
I would like a case, but only for cosmetics.
Know what really does it for me? Stock Android is a bit too stock also. I have gotten really used to how the pixel works and really like it with all it's slight tweaks to stock.
The cameras sensors are still too small to be on the level of the the other flagships too. Not only software. The Google camera does pretty well though
Sent from my Pixel using Tapatalk
jerflash said:
Know what really does it for me? Stock Android is a bit too stock also. I have gotten really used to how the pixel works and really like it with all it's slight tweaks to stock.
The cameras sensors are still too small to be on the level of the the other flagships too. Not only software. The Google camera does pretty well though
Sent from my Pixel using Tapatalk
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I use Nova, so Android is never really stock for me.
I use Nova Launcher because I can restore my device layout on any device.
As far as the camera, I'm not that concerned about the quality.
For me it's a case of not having a better camera and just getting the picture is important.
If I really wanted a good photo, I'd use one of my"real" cameras.
tech_head said:
I use Nova, so Android is never really stock for me.
I use Nova Launcher because I can restore my device layout on any device.
As far as the camera, I'm not that concerned about the quality.
For me it's a case of not having a better camera and just getting the picture is important.
If I really wanted a good photo, I'd use one of my"real" cameras.
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Happy you like it man! It's not for everyone for sure. I thought it was my dream phone but for me... It's just not their yet. The next one maybe and still super happy with what they were able to make!
Sent from my Pixel using Tapatalk
I've dropped this phone in 1 week more than I've dropped my Pixel XL in the past 3 months, just because of how slippery the little bugger is. No damage as a result of dropping it, though.
I do have some very light scratches on the ceramic back, from sliding across my desk or countertop at home, which I was *not* expecting. Both the top, by the mod indentation holes, and at the bottom left, too. I know they aren't from dropping it, as every time it's fallen, it's landed on its side or a corner, never flat on its back.
PhaseBurn said:
I've dropped this phone in 1 week more than I've dropped my Pixel XL in the past 3 months, just because of how slippery the little bugger is. No damage as a result of dropping it, though.
I do have some very light scratches on the ceramic back, from sliding across my desk or countertop at home, which I was *not* expecting. Both the top, by the mod indentation holes, and at the bottom left, too. I know they aren't from dropping it, as every time it's fallen, it's landed on its side or a corner, never flat on its back.
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Stop being so rich with your diamond crusted desks and counter tops ?
Sent from my Pixel using Tapatalk
jerflash said:
Stop being so rich with your diamond crusted desks and counter tops ?
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So I actually was checking out these:
https://egrips.com
Was tired of all my phones falling out if my pockets or slipping thru my hands...
jerflash said:
Happy you like it man! It's not for everyone for sure. I thought it was my dream phone but for me... It's just not their yet. The next one maybe and still super happy with what they were able to make!
Sent from my Pixel using Tapatalk
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Click to collapse
It is definitely not the phone for everyone. Build quality is for everyone.
There are some software shortcomings. I think they can sort those out.
I sold my 6P. SO I have the Essential for the long haul.
I have my replacement phone arriving today. I have gone through 2 glass screen protectors that due to the fit of them (not sticking to the edges) I have a nick in the glass at the top left and the screen is completely shattered on the bottom left, I can see gold metal under it and it has a crack running diagonally from left to right from the bottom left. I know I never dropped this phone from more than 2 feet high. I also have the scratches on the ceramic back near the mods ports. I've only used my 360 a couple of times. I'm definitely getting a case and moving to a plastic wet install screen protector.
I haven't dropped this phone yet, but I have several hairline scratches on the back ceramic. I guess I'm around a lot of minerals or dust particles that are > 8 hardness, which I find interesting.
Also on the glass I notice a patch of hairline scratches. I'm usually real careful about my phones (of course, everyone says this) but I think that's more of Corning's fault this time around. They're really small but knowing they're there bothers me. I wish I could buff them out. I'll be getting a screen protector I guess.
808phoneaddict said:
So I actually was checking out these:
https://egrips.com
Was tired of all my phones falling out if my pockets or slipping thru my hands...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Oh wow, those are cool
My back panel got scratched (micro scratches) that's so weird. Got ceramic Xiaomi mi2 and it was perfectly strong....not like this one.
I dropped mine screen facing the floor from about 4 feet. Screen survived, minor scratches. Not a single crack. I didn't expect the screen to survive.
-Nav
I have a step from main floor to foyer. Placed my phone near the edge and my dog pushed it down to tiles. Face down smashed!
2 line of scratches at the bottom bezel.
small dings on top left and bottom left corner display.
Sigh... thought it would survive...

General Crooked front camera cutout and unequal side bezels

Hi, I noticed the actual cutout of the punch hole is crooked towards left by a small difference. In fact, the entire display is crooked to one side, with the left bezel being slightly thinner than the right bezel. The unequal bezels are somewhat hard to ignore.
Anyone else face this issue?
halfbytecode said:
Hi, I noticed the actual cutout of the punch hole is crooked towards left by a small difference. In fact, the entire display is crooked to one side, with the left bezel being slightly thinner than the right bezel. The unequal bezels are somewhat hard to ignore.
Anyone else face this issue?
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That's not true on my phone
HipKat said:
That's not true on my phone
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Thanks for the reply. I can see about half a millimeter of difference here, not too much though. However, I am not able to overlook that, especially the unequal bezels.
halfbytecode said:
Thanks for the reply. I can see about half a millimeter of difference here, not too much though. However, I am not able to overlook that, especially the unequal bezels.
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you should consider a exchange with google under warranty for product defect.... though.... I've had the same camera issue and everything works fine so I didn't bother
Same thing on Pixel 6 Pro, the camera is not quite centered in the display hole. Can't tell along the sides, my eyes are simply not sensitive enough to tell if the whole display is off centered, but I doubt it.
With regards to the camera hole, I suspect it is actually the camera that is off center from the display hole. The cameras are almost "loose" in there, held in place by pressure only. If you actually took the display off from over the camera, you would see that it can move around a bit.
You talk about 500 micrometers. That is so small I would probably have a hard time noticing that on a display that is 16.29 centimeters wide. So it only deviates 0.003%, You must have great eyesight!!
That is a very interesting method to measure accuracy. Half a millimeter on something you touch and use and look at every day, several times, is very noticeable. There's a reason phone screens never feel/are like that - tolerances are much lower than you make them out to be. Imagine if internal components were off by .5mm
I looked at phones of other brands as well, and even my earlier phone had this deviation infact, but it is even larger in that case, at more than 1 millimeter. It seems to be there in all phones, across different brands, that I have seen so far.
With curved screens the difference seems easily noticeable for some reason though.
Having seen this deviation on various phones, this is something I think I will stop noticing eventually.
blackspp said:
You talk about 500 micrometers. That is so small I would probably have a hard time noticing that on a display that is 16.29 centimeters wide. So it only deviates 0.003%, You must have great eyesight!!
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Click to collapse
Your math is only off by a factor of one hundred

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