What Might Have Been: The Census PC

The 2010 U.S. census was supposed to have been conducted by enumerators (census takers) who were carrying handheld computers. The high-tech equipment got scrubbed, as described in my earlier "'A Lack of Effective Communication Adds $3 Billion to U.S. Census Cost” article at http://blog.eogn.com/eastmans_online_genealogy/2008/04/2010-us-census.html.

All such equipment requires type approval from the Federal Communications Commission (FCC). The manufacturer of the handheld computers recently submitted a prototype for approval, even though the project has been scrubbed. I am guessing that the manufacturer still seeks approval so that similar computers can be sold for other projects.

The type acceptance application is available to the public and provides an interesting look at what the Census Bureau had planned. It's sad that this project got scrapped.

You can learn more about the handheld computer that was to be used to record information at http://www.reghardware.co.uk/2008/05/05/htc_fcc_handset.

While on that website, you can also check out the fingerprint reader! I assume that was for recording the enumerator's fingerprint for security reasons, not to record the fingerprints of each resident.

Comments

[joyce from Oklahoma]

I participated in the 2000 census taking.
The person in charge of giving us our "books" would not look at where we lived the closest to. It was first come first serve....no exceptions. Therefore, I was paid milage to go to and from another county; while a person from another county took my area and was paid milage to and from. When it comes to government spending it made perfect sense.