The main noise component of the maglev trains is aerodynamic noise, just as you would have from a plane. This pretty much explains the comments about the similarity of the noises... And such noise can not really be cancelled; it might be possible to shield it a bit, but it will be there, and it can barely be directed.
There might also be some electrically induced noise. However that noise will be easily covered by the aerodynamic noise.
The noise with conventional trains is a mix between rolling noise (steel on steel, depending a lot on the roughness of the wheel surface), and the aerodynamic noise. This mix is of course also creating a totally different spectrum.
Overall, this study looks to me quite a bit like a "publish or perish" study... not much substance, not really well worked out (playing sounds in a lab environment does not really have much to do with "real world" annoyment...
One reason I heard for not getting beyond that Beta on Linux was that apparently "the market" was not willing to pay a decent price...
This is even understandable, considering the state of Linux at that time. I am sure that nowadays, as Linux has made it to bigger organizations, there would be a good chance for such a product.
The question is, however, how much an effort it would be to port the Solaris version (which AFAIK is using X-11) to other Unix platforms... and even get OSX support back through the back door
Note that Framemaker has a very old code base, which gets more and more diffficult to maintain. Now, considering the completely new base provided by OSX, it does justify serious consideration. That is something I can follow Adobe with.
However, Adobe could very easily have made a statement to support OSX... two years ago. But then, who in the "big industry" has been taken the OSX platform serious at that time?
What makes me extremely mad, on the other hand, is the lack of migration path. The base arichitecture of InDesign would allow for the creation of according plug-ins. And also considering the typographical quality possible in InDesign...
It could actually be cheaper for the government to hand out a fully equipped computer if it were ensured that the complete communication with the government would run via this machine.
The reason for this is that it costs a lot of money to process paper forms. Depending on the complexity and workflow, it costs between $10 and $ 150 to process ONE SINGLE FORM.
So, if some government agencies would run like businesses, they would already have switched to such approaches. However, the government agencies are hindered by the legislators to be efficient. The legislators (in the US, it would be the Congress on a federal level) are apparently not even able to give the agencies the tools to operate (or for how long are the agencies working with no approved budget for now? And that forces them to work inefficiently.
It is indeed true that if something is good for the Etat de Genève, it is good for some nation... remember the old saying that every nation has the government it deserves...
Actually Intuit and other of those companies have been screaming bloody murder.
The consequence is that there is apparently an agreement between the USAn IRS and the "industry" that the tax CD the USAn IRS is distributing does not contain "smart" forms, even if it could done (the PDF technology allowed for that).
As stated elsewhere, it is pretty difficult to provide a tax form which does tax consulting.
I was not aware of the quality issues. But I guess that they can be fixed.
One thing to always keep in mind is that tax software can NOT replace a tax consultant. It can provide a good platform for entering, calculating and submitting. It can even have a checklist for completeness. But is can not tell you that you might find this and that loophole.
The issue with electronic submission is that the legal background is not yet given. There is some legislation about digital signatures, but it is not complete (yet). As a consequence, it would not be sufficient to submit electronically, except informally, making data entry at the tax office easier, and then comparing your signed forms. As this system uses a 2D barcode, data entry should be reliable.
There is a system used by some of the German Länder (Elster), which allows electronic submitting, and you will only have to print out and sign and send in a synopsis. However, that system does not allow you to print out the details for your records...
There are developments, and I think that GETax is just one step on the way to the goal.
The less scary thing is that there are also 26 cantons in Switzerland... And some of them are seriously looking away from MS...
Another Max; another Swiss.
Your French is a little bit rusty... as is mine.
The tax software is available for Linux, Windows, MaxOS X and 9.
The PDF viewer is Acrobat Reader for Windows and MacOS, and another utility is included for Linux (well, it is only very recent that Adobe released a Linux version of Reader 5.05).
FWIW, Lufthansa has 110 V power at every seat in Business and First, and it works pretty reliable; one time I had problems with the US-style power plug, the fligth attendant gave me an adapter plug... and they did not want it back when getting off.
And if you ask nicely, the cabin crew will most likely let you use some 110 V plug for recharging your computer.
Keep in mind that this service will be available only on their long-range fleet, which means that you spend at least some 6 hours in that plane. Under these circumstances, that price is bearable... you always have the choice to not use the service.
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The main noise component of the maglev trains is aerodynamic noise, just as you would have from a plane. This pretty much explains the comments about the similarity of the noises... And such noise can not really be cancelled; it might be possible to shield it a bit, but it will be there, and it can barely be directed. There might also be some electrically induced noise. However that noise will be easily covered by the aerodynamic noise. The noise with conventional trains is a mix between rolling noise (steel on steel, depending a lot on the roughness of the wheel surface), and the aerodynamic noise. This mix is of course also creating a totally different spectrum. Overall, this study looks to me quite a bit like a "publish or perish" study... not much substance, not really well worked out (playing sounds in a lab environment does not really have much to do with "real world" annoyment...
One reason I heard for not getting beyond that Beta on Linux was that apparently "the market" was not willing to pay a decent price...
... and even get OSX support back through the back door
This is even understandable, considering the state of Linux at that time. I am sure that nowadays, as Linux has made it to bigger organizations, there would be a good chance for such a product.
The question is, however, how much an effort it would be to port the Solaris version (which AFAIK is using X-11) to other Unix platforms
Note that Framemaker has a very old code base, which gets more and more diffficult to maintain. Now, considering the completely new base provided by OSX, it does justify serious consideration. That is something I can follow Adobe with.
... two years ago. But then, who in the "big industry" has been taken the OSX platform serious at that time?
However, Adobe could very easily have made a statement to support OSX
What makes me extremely mad, on the other hand, is the lack of migration path. The base arichitecture of InDesign would allow for the creation of according plug-ins. And also considering the typographical quality possible in InDesign...
It could actually be cheaper for the government to hand out a fully equipped computer if it were ensured that the complete communication with the government would run via this machine.
... remember the old saying that every nation has the government it deserves...
The reason for this is that it costs a lot of money to process paper forms. Depending on the complexity and workflow, it costs between $10 and $ 150 to process ONE SINGLE FORM.
So, if some government agencies would run like businesses, they would already have switched to such approaches. However, the government agencies are hindered by the legislators to be efficient. The legislators (in the US, it would be the Congress on a federal level) are apparently not even able to give the agencies the tools to operate (or for how long are the agencies working with no approved budget for now? And that forces them to work inefficiently.
It is indeed true that if something is good for the Etat de Genève, it is good for some nation
Actually Intuit and other of those companies have been screaming bloody murder.
The consequence is that there is apparently an agreement between the USAn IRS and the "industry" that the tax CD the USAn IRS is distributing does not contain "smart" forms, even if it could done (the PDF technology allowed for that).
As stated elsewhere, it is pretty difficult to provide a tax form which does tax consulting.
I was not aware of the quality issues. But I guess that they can be fixed. One thing to always keep in mind is that tax software can NOT replace a tax consultant. It can provide a good platform for entering, calculating and submitting. It can even have a checklist for completeness. But is can not tell you that you might find this and that loophole. The issue with electronic submission is that the legal background is not yet given. There is some legislation about digital signatures, but it is not complete (yet). As a consequence, it would not be sufficient to submit electronically, except informally, making data entry at the tax office easier, and then comparing your signed forms. As this system uses a 2D barcode, data entry should be reliable. There is a system used by some of the German Länder (Elster), which allows electronic submitting, and you will only have to print out and sign and send in a synopsis. However, that system does not allow you to print out the details for your records... There are developments, and I think that GETax is just one step on the way to the goal. The less scary thing is that there are also 26 cantons in Switzerland... And some of them are seriously looking away from MS... Another Max; another Swiss.
Your French is a little bit rusty ... as is mine.
The tax software is available for Linux, Windows, MaxOS X and 9.
The PDF viewer is Acrobat Reader for Windows and MacOS, and another utility is included for Linux (well, it is only very recent that Adobe released a Linux version of Reader 5.05).
FWIW, Lufthansa has 110 V power at every seat in Business and First, and it works pretty reliable; one time I had problems with the US-style power plug, the fligth attendant gave me an adapter plug ... and they did not want it back when getting off.
And if you ask nicely, the cabin crew will most likely let you use some 110 V plug for recharging your computer.
Keep in mind that this service will be available only on their long-range fleet, which means that you spend at least some 6 hours in that plane. Under these circumstances, that price is bearable ... you always have the choice to not use the service.