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Computers go on sale in Cuba for first time EVER

chicagotribune.com — Cubans are getting wired. Computers went on sale to the general public on the communist island on Friday and potential consumers were lining up outside store windows to gawk and consider buying. President Raul Castro's government had authorized the sale of personal computers to average Cubans more than a month ago, but they were not available...

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  • psiaii, on 05/02/2008, -14/+34Fidel is "out", DIGG is "in" in Cuba :)
    • ColonelTribune, on 05/02/2008, -1/+7It's about time!
    • nyx210, on 05/02/2008, -1/+42Too bad they can't go online...
    • Snakedal337, on 05/02/2008, -0/+23Not quite, still no internet for most :(
      • WNW3, on 05/03/2008, -1/+7That's weird, I remember playing Need For Speed Porsche Unleashed several years ago against a guy in Cuba. I brought up politics when we were wiating for the next race to start, about how it was funny we were playing through an embargo, he freaked and dropped out
    • Jeffler, on 05/03/2008, -6/+7So Cubans will become Paul or Obama Supporting Athiest Linux/Mac Fanboys with Hacked iPhones who smoke weed and ***** THE RIAA?

      Very nice!
      • Chrispyc1211, on 05/03/2008, -1/+2Psh, don't digg him down, people! Be proud of who you are!
    • scotticus, on 05/03/2008, -2/+2Bah... call me when they have cam whores.
  • nahsrocketeer75, on 05/02/2008, -4/+163That's astounding. Gotta admit I had no idea they couldn't buy them there.
    • ColonelTribune, on 05/02/2008, -2/+17Next up: new cars??
    • bhavinp, on 05/02/2008, -5/+22No wonder its hectic there. No pr0n.
    • mal1964, on 05/02/2008, -2/+12Have you ever seen a comment or a profile anywhere on the net from a person in Cuba?
    • Stonekeeper, on 05/02/2008, -11/+5Well what'dya'know?!?! Next they'll have decent healthcare! :O
      • wjbp, on 05/03/2008, -2/+1Already far better than the USA.
      • Stonekeeper, on 05/03/2008, -0/+3oh dear. I have to put /sarcasm explicitly again. I keep forgetting this is Digg.
    • Palfo, on 05/02/2008, -0/+21Would of thought Fidel would have bought every cuban an Alienware considering he has a trillion dollar bill.
    • jmpeagle, on 05/03/2008, -0/+9same deal with microwaves and many other relatively expensive consumer items. It's part of the philosophy of people not being allowed to show off wealth in a coiuntry all about equality. Of course, if you have political connections, you can drive a BMW because you are an agent of the state working to make the people better off, but other people are not allowed to buy cars.
    • mempko, on 05/04/2008, -2/+2Yeah, they couldn't buy them because Cuba had an energy crisis and banned not only computers, but microwaves, etc, because they drained too much power.
  • thirdcoastborn, on 05/02/2008, -4/+35that's crazy. i don't see how fidel would let his brother be doing this. i think fidel is dead and gone.
    • Mahstah, on 05/02/2008, -1/+15Considering that they can only buy computers at government stores, I wouldn't put it past the Cuban government to have installed citizen spyware on the computers. If they break the law and connect to the internet, it would be easy to find them.
      • theaceoffire, on 05/03/2008, -0/+12O.o its against the law to connect to the internet?
        If not, just download Ubuntu or some other OS and wipe the Gov stuff off...
      • 1randomguyO8, on 05/03/2008, -1/+3lol do a format and its gone, simple.
        • TheFinaleofSeem, on 05/03/2008, -0/+7Unless they built something into the hardware, which is a definite possibility.
          • 1randomguyO8, on 05/04/2008, -0/+1Well, thats pretty hardcore I must admit if they do, do that.
        • BearinG, on 05/06/2008, -0/+1Yeah simple for people who have never had computers
      • MavRevMatt, on 05/03/2008, -0/+6I didn't know they can't connect to the internet either.
      • senatorpjt, on 05/03/2008, -4/+2So what? Not that I agree with it, but it's no worse than China, and it's not like Chinese goods are illegal in the US.
    • postitnote, on 05/03/2008, -1/+11He didn't really have a choice. It was either his brother Raul Castro, or his retarded son Fidel W. Castro.
    • mempko, on 05/04/2008, -2/+1He could do this because Cuba has finally solved their energy crisis. Computers drained too much power. They also banned microwaves for this reason.
  • RorObSN, on 05/02/2008, -2/+62Now if only we would talk to Cuba...
  • sockpuppets, on 05/02/2008, -0/+40I traded my Vic-20 for three cases of cigars.
  • godseyeview, on 05/02/2008, -4/+70Wow I had no idea Cuba was a society with no computers. Must be like the 80's there.
    • rinocom, on 05/02/2008, -7/+27actually, as I understand it, it's like the 50's there.. all the cars and styles that were in place when Democracy left the island are still in place. I'm not saying that the change was good or bad... but they are still making 50 year old cars run there everyday.
      • Jlaugh, on 05/02/2008, -1/+22When was Democracy there? Didn't they have a dictatorship before Castro?
        • roboticrickshaw, on 05/03/2008, -1/+24Describing Bastista's dictatorship as democracy is a new one.
        • heystoopid, on 05/03/2008, -2/+5Several actually all pro US government backed and armed basically dating back to the Spanish American War for the cheap bulk sugar they could purchase at cents in the pound needed to produce all those carbonated diabetes type two cocaine and fizzy colored tap water made by Coca Cola !
      • senatorpjt, on 05/03/2008, -2/+23Not since Democracy left - since the pro-US dictator was replaced with an anti-US dictator.
        • heystoopid, on 05/03/2008, -2/+4Only became anti when the CIA kept hiring all those inept dumb and very stupid US Italian Mafia contract killers sent in to whack Castro and his family all because he asked Coke to pay a fair price for his bulk sugar instead of the peanuts they were paying the peons under the previous US military dictatorship(Batista could not even scratch his posterior without Washington's approval first) put in place after the Spanish American War some fifty odd years earlier which brutalized the peace loving peons seeking a fair deal for a fair days wages with decent schools and good medical system unlike the user pays all system the Americans seem to prefer and call it a fair deal whilst paying a cent in the dollar in wages in real terms !
          • praisethelard, on 06/06/2008, -1/+3Dugg up for one long-ass sentence.
          • senatorpjt, on 05/03/2008, -2/+3In the view of the US, they became anti-US as soon as they started making requests for fair prices.
    • mywhitenoise, on 05/02/2008, -0/+14older.
    • Andysan, on 05/03/2008, -5/+19Face it -- communism/socialism really sucks. Besides that they shoot the nonbelievers.
      • nickcommie, on 05/03/2008, -13/+5this has next to nothing to do with communism or socialism as a whole. i guess the incredible literacy rate and health care and education are also nasty, negative side affects of socialism? there are poor, impoverished nations that participate in free trade that have authoritarian governments too. learn the difference between governments and economic systems before you make wild assertations. thanks.
        • TheFinaleofSeem, on 05/03/2008, -3/+11Yeah, it's great...if you believe Castro's numbers. If history has taught us one thing, it's to never believe what communist countries say about themselves.
          • nickcommie, on 05/03/2008, -9/+3More like if your ***** U.S. high school history courses have taught you one thing. Because we all know that nations with "capitalist" economic systems and bourgeois-democracies never, ever lie... And to everyone who dug down my last comment, could you please explain how I'm wrong? Are you denying that right-wing, capitalist-militarist dictatorships don't exist? All I'm saying is that, contrary to popular belief because of countries left around after the Soviet era, communism or socialism is not really a recipe for authoritarianism. Most modern day socialists fall on the political spectrum in the sense that they're very left wing economically, and very libertarian when it comes to social issues. For the love of god, take a ***** intro to poli sci course... Oh wait, that's right, college education in the US is unaffordable.
          • jmpeagle, on 05/03/2008, -1/+8@nickcommie

            do you think it is a coincidence that the richest countries and the citizens with the longest average lifespans are firmly more democratic and have market based economies?
          • elmau, on 05/03/2008, -4/+4ehm... Cubans have excellent medics, they're well educated (i think they're more educated than the average American citizen), schools are great there because they have to survive on what they had, and that allowed them to perfect a system. Their lifespan is average with other developed countries... and also. Chinese people who are poor and supposed to be communist have a longer lifespan than the world average.

            The lifespan is not determined by being democratic, its about the longevity of your older generations (genetics), lifestyle, and culture. If you see a country like USA with all their high rates of obesity, sedentary lifestyle, you can predict that the lifespan will be less in a few generations if they continue with the same way of life. Economy helps but not necessarily by having more money, it's about an efficient resources management policy.
          • TheFinaleofSeem, on 05/03/2008, -2/+4Wow Nickcommie, what a load of *****. Nobody said that other governments don't lie. Now, look at what happened when the Soviet Union crumbled. It was seen that their numbers were complete and utter *****. Look at North Korea. They thump their chests, but there is nothing to back it up. Their country is in the *****. Communism does not necessarily have to be authoritarianism, but unfortunately, there is no basis for comparison as there has not been the former without the latter on anything larger than a very small, local scale. As such, the rule of thumb is not to believe what communists say about their own countries, because in just about every case in history, they grossly inflate the right numbers to make themselves look far, far better than they actually are.

            And college in the US is affordable, you idiot. You tell us to take classes and then spout that drivel? Believe it or not, decent state colleges/universities aren't that expensive. There are also grants, loans, and a load of scholarships out there. Yep, college is sure unaffordable. How ever did I afford it?
          • nickcommie, on 05/03/2008, -3/+3If college in the US is affordable, why do warhawk military recruiters consistently recruit the poorest youth of our nation? Saying this as in international student, the price of education in the US is a ***** joke compared to what Canada and Europe (and Venezuela and Cuba, those dirty ***** communists!) are doing.

            As for your comments about the "numbers" in Soviet and soviet bloc countries, since you're not using any actual examples I can't refute your statement.
          • TheFinaleofSeem, on 05/03/2008, -1/+3First, yes, many can get into a US college. The US military is one route to it, and some choose that as they may be able to get some very useful vocational training out of it, or maybe they don't think they can get financial assistance any other way. As I said, there are many different avenues for those who are less fortunate to go to college. You're looking at the raw cost and military ads and making a judgement? Get lost.

            Um, the Soviets were always extolling their virtues in just about every area, and in every area they came up short. Their industry is booming! Their people are healthy, wealthy, and happy! Their technology is superior to ours! Then the iron curtain came down, and we found that their industry was in shambles, their people were poor and destitute (not to mention horribly oppressed), their technology was sloppy and killing funding for anything else. Seriously, just look into it for two minutes.
          • kieranmaine, on 05/03/2008, -1/+2The CIA world factbook states the Cuban life expectancy is 77.08 - however some would say the CIA lies :) The WHO website says the cuban average life expectancy is 75/79 (m/f) (http://www.who.int/countries/cub/en/). However I'm not sure if they worked these out themselves or got them off the Cubans. Still with the CIA and the WHO both indicating that the life expectancy is in the high 70's it would seem this may infact be true.
      • afruff23, on 05/03/2008, -9/+3No different from the US. You get sent to jail and shot if you try to escape for tax evasion.
        • TheFinaleofSeem, on 05/03/2008, -0/+10Um, that is a monstrous load of *****. If you call Bush and idiot in the US, it's just another day on Digg. If you call Castro an idiot in Cuba, then you get hauled off. If you try to leave the US, you fill out the paperwork and go. If you want to leave Cuba, you grab something that floats and hope you live long enough to make it to the US. It is very, very different from the US, and you're an utter idiot if you can't see that.

          And last I knew, you don't get shot for tax evasion in the US.
      • heystoopid, on 05/03/2008, -2/+1Those that fail to learn the lessons in history like your self are but doomed to repeat the exact same mistakes for eternity , now that be justice , have a happy groundhog day !
      • roodammy44, on 05/03/2008, -3/+2Democracy also sucks when people consistantly vote in idiots.
        Democracy hasn't helped many poor countries. It's mainly something only rich countries can afford
        • nickcommie, on 05/03/2008, -3/+2there's no "reply to" button for this guy, so i have to reply down here:

          "@nickcommie

          do you think it is a coincidence that the richest countries and the citizens with the longest average lifespans are firmly more democratic and have market based economies?"

          I think you're overlooking the issue and refusing to take a critical analysis of world politics. It's definitely true that democracy, as a form of government, works better in wealthy nations. And obviously nations that are wealthy usually are either free market or mixed economy. However, all I was trying to say with my original post, was that this doesn't really dismiss the opportunity of socialism or communism to be a sensible economic system that could coincide with democratic values. The reason it always ends up being authoritarian largely has to do with historical circumstances - the fact that the first communist revolution happened in a backwards country, the Cold War, etc. But even then, you can't deny that those poor countries, going from more or less a feudal economy, ***** skyrocketted in 30 years under a centrally planned economy. Imagine how efficient it would be if it was actually applied to the kind of scenario's in which Marx MEANT for it to be applied - first world nations, and the rest follow suit. All the USSR, Cuba, bloc countries proved was that Stalinism/socialism ''in one country'' doesn't work - it has to be international and it should happen in the wealthiest nations in order to function properly.

          It pretty much blows my mind that I have to explain basic marxist theory due to some offhanded comments I made, hasn't anyone just taken an intro to polisci class???
    • gonegirlgone, on 05/03/2008, -9/+4do you mean the 80's like this?
      http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eBGIQ7ZuuiU&feature ...
    • shamanlife, on 05/03/2008, -0/+3hehe, they have computers there, just not too many in people's homes.
    • Jashobeam5, on 05/05/2008, -0/+2I got my first computer in the 1980s, back before trolls existed, and the world was a happy place.
  • Skelly11, on 05/02/2008, -18/+5But will they run Crysis?
    • burnstyle, on 05/02/2008, -0/+7if you had read the article... you would know that the answer is:

      nope.
  • majorpayne27, on 05/02/2008, -3/+11780 GB of memory? I have a feeling a certain writer doesn't know the difference between memory and disk.
    • Skafia, on 05/02/2008, -0/+43the general public doesn't as 90% of end users i work with refer to storage as memory.
      • BearinG, on 05/06/2008, -0/+199% here..I don't blame them though.. it is a bit misleading..
    • diggrnumber1, on 05/02/2008, -0/+8yeah, i was looking at that for a while, sort of confused. i thought i was missing something.
    • verkon, on 05/03/2008, -7/+5If you never had a computer in your whole life, wouldn't you want to get something really awesome?
      • KMartSheriff, on 05/03/2008, -2/+4What does that have to do with what majorpayne said?
      • sexypeon, on 05/03/2008, -0/+1Good luck trying to get it running.
    • uziko, on 05/03/2008, -2/+2i know, at first i was like "*****, i'm going there to all of their computers"
    • MavRevMatt, on 05/03/2008, -1/+2Most the people don't know the difference.
    • nicktheawesome, on 05/03/2008, -0/+9And 512 RAM!

      I don't know what units are.
    • hamidious, on 05/03/2008, -0/+5Still, a harddrive can be referred to as memory, it's just less commonly used.
      • nattybohman, on 05/04/2008, -0/+2If someone says "How much memory does your computer have?"
        The correct response is never to state how much hard disk space you have.

        Maybe the writer is from Cuba and is unfamiliar with computers.
        • BearinG, on 05/06/2008, -0/+1The correct answer yes.. not the common answer though
  • RomeyRome, on 05/02/2008, -0/+152Whole new country with no copyright laws for torrent hosting.
    • Skafia, on 05/02/2008, -0/+47Me thinks the RIAA may construe downloading from a future Cuban tracker as violating the Cuban trade embargo.
      • theviceroy, on 05/02/2008, -0/+26now that is an interesting legal issue!
      • heystoopid, on 05/03/2008, -0/+2At current rate of mainstream recording companies are declining as a force to be reckoned with , most of the big four labels will be extremely lucky to survive past the current economic depression sweeping the nation like an unstoppable tidal wave !
      • MrGlass952, on 05/05/2008, -0/+0***** THE RIAA!!!
    • Qumahlin, on 05/03/2008, -0/+16Yes, now if only there was any substantial internet in cuba...even what the state employees use is practically barbaric
  • nastronomical, on 05/02/2008, -24/+12arent you happy you are living in america?
    • Revolution101, on 05/02/2008, -5/+35i live in england.
    • Anonemousk, on 05/03/2008, -5/+2Not when they do not allow me to openly trade with anyone from any country, No. I'm not.
      • breezytrees, on 05/03/2008, -1/+6Actually America has some of the lowest tariff rates in the world. Our tax rate on foreign goods is extremely low. Americans as a people thus are more free to trade with foreigners than citizens of almost all other countries.

        The one exception is cuba.
      • TheFinaleofSeem, on 05/03/2008, -1/+4Sure beats Cuba...
    • 1randomguyO8, on 05/03/2008, -4/+7I'm happy im not living in America. Australia FTW
    • senatorpjt, on 05/03/2008, -5/+1Our internet service in the US isn't that much better than Cuba if you compare it to a place like South Korea.
      • TheFinaleofSeem, on 05/03/2008, -0/+6And yet if you just compare it to Cuba, it's a hundred times better and then some. Almost any country will look awful next to South Korea. After all, they have to keep their Starcraft latency low.
        • senatorpjt, on 05/03/2008, -1/+1Isn't that what I said? America is behind the rest of the first world in terms of internet service, not just South Korea. They just happen to be ahead the most.
    • PurpleSfinx, on 05/03/2008, -0/+3What makes you think we all live in America?
      Oh, you didn't... oh hahahah, you didn't think Cuba was the first country outside America to get computers did you? Ahahaha. No, they're one of the LAST!
      • Jashobeam5, on 05/05/2008, -0/+1Even Africa has solar powered ones.
  • Dystisis, on 05/02/2008, -16/+6This is *****, probably propaganda or them trying to get a header. There has been computers in Cuba for some time, was last time I visited.
    • sonnybobiche, on 05/02/2008, -0/+16... as a tourist, I take it?
      • BearinG, on 05/06/2008, -0/+2I was gonna say.. don't those all inclusive resorts have computers?
    • Tenlow, on 05/02/2008, -1/+12Yes but not "officially" was the point.
    • matador3, on 05/02/2008, -0/+10Because in the workers paradise all Cubans live at resorts like the one you visited.
    • Qumahlin, on 05/03/2008, -0/+5"There has been computers in Cuba for some time, was last time I visited."

      Really? You saw computers on sale in any of the government run shops, i.e. ALL OF THEM? Did you read the article? You can get them on the black market, just like DVD players, but the shops don't sell any of this stuff.
    • jmpeagle, on 05/03/2008, -0/+3they were just a few months ago for the first time allowed to stay in tourist hotels in their OWN country which were much nicer than the ones than any Cubans were allowed to stay in

      how many Americans flee on makeshift rafts to Cuba?
  • taradisiac, on 05/02/2008, -22/+7Still, we need to give Cuba freedom and democracy.
    • taradisiac, on 05/02/2008, -11/+7-2 diggs
      Wow I knew Digg was leftist but I didn't realize it was THAT leftist.
      • fuse13, on 05/05/2008, -1/+0...or maybe you said something dumb and got called on it. Just a suggestion.
      • Jashobeam5, on 05/05/2008, -0/+19 out of 10 unemployed libs perfer Digg.
    • proliance, on 05/02/2008, -1/+26Its their country. They need to get it themselves. They'll appreciate it more.
      • taradisiac, on 05/02/2008, -15/+3We freed Iraq didn't we?
        • JulyZerg, on 05/02/2008, -4/+12Really? Do they look free?
          • taradisiac, on 05/02/2008, -11/+5Freer than under Saddam, yeah.
          • theaceoffire, on 05/03/2008, -4/+1They offer a possible leader (Humas), we ok it, they win, we declare the leadership terrorists and refuse to support them.
          • 1randomguyO8, on 05/03/2008, -5/+2I think he is being sarcastic.
          • roboticrickshaw, on 05/03/2008, -4/+1I presume you mean HAMAS
          • itsgotyou, on 05/03/2008, -0/+7Nope, he meant humus on crispy baked pita. mmmmm pita bread.
      • masterm1nd, on 05/02/2008, -0/+1And if they don't? Like they haven't...
    • Jalh, on 05/02/2008, -3/+1agree
  • dogatemypron, on 05/02/2008, -5/+59Welcome to the world of pron Cuba!
  • Revolution101, on 05/02/2008, -2/+28Welcome to the 20th century, friends :)
  • lennybird, on 05/02/2008, -10/+4Go Raul!
    • lennybird, on 05/03/2008, -0/+1Hey... All I'm saying is it's cool that they're getting all these new-found freedoms that we take for granted.
  • tarrmachine, on 05/02/2008, -2/+89NEW PC FOR SALE
    Pentium 1 500mhz 32mb RAM 500mb Hard Drive CDROM blazing fast 33.3 modem
    Super fast and AOL dial up ready!
    Yours now at a low $1,500
    • gta3uzi, on 05/02/2008, -0/+30More like Pentium 1 100mhz. IIRC Pentium 2's were the first to hit the blisteringly fast 500mhz range.
      • Huitz, on 05/02/2008, -3/+9Incorrect, Pentium III Was the first to go to 500 Mhz. PII toped out at 333. I have the copy of PC World magazine where the PIII Was announced sitting right beside me.
      • tarrmachine, on 05/03/2008, -0/+2I had a Pentium 1 back in the day but I couldn't remember the processor speed so I took a stab. I was too lazy to google it.
      • JoshChan, on 05/03/2008, -1/+1Imagine how 20 years before a magazine cover of an American kid with his P1 computer could blow the Asian kids' brains out.
    • SuperMoses, on 05/02/2008, -0/+27Does it come with MMX Technology?
    • greystill, on 05/03/2008, -1/+23But does it come with speakers and a cd boner?
      • digidelia, on 05/03/2008, -1/+5what a hilarious typo
        • h4mx0r, on 05/03/2008, -0/+7Actually I think that is a callback to a certain Dell training video...
    • TheCoreh, on 05/03/2008, -1/+7But can it run Crys... Oh, forget it.
    • arjie, on 05/03/2008, -1/+3Yes, but it has a Turbo button!
  • HMTKSteve, on 05/02/2008, -1/+17I've got some old computers in my basement. Can I sell them in Cuba?
    • nyx210, on 05/02/2008, -1/+21Not if you live in the US
      • breezytrees, on 05/03/2008, -0/+5Doesn't matter where you live. You can't sell computers to cubans. Only their government can.
    • MLisa, on 05/03/2008, -1/+4Steve - I help teach people to use the Internet. Real basic stuff. There are lots of people in the US that would love to have a few lessons and receive a Free PC to use in their home. Consider this as an option AND a challenge. Help out those in the US to move forward into the 21st century.
      • HMTKSteve, on 05/03/2008, -0/+2Come and get them and they are yours!
  • diggduggDOOM, on 05/02/2008, -2/+45Dude, you're gettin' a Tandy!
    • itsgotyou, on 05/03/2008, -1/+6Tandy TRS-80; first program I made was a pentagon growing into a star with alternating background colors. Took me 2 days to do it, but I was 6yo back then.
    • Jashobeam5, on 05/05/2008, -0/+1Tandy was cool! I eventually upgraded to a C-64.
  • wiesnertroy, on 05/02/2008, -2/+106Who will be the first Cuban to be rick rolled??
  • Thrilltone, on 05/02/2008, -1/+28I got a hit from Cuba about 2 years ago. Must have been Fidel?
    http://extremetracking.com/open;geo?login=surfpick
    • SuperMoses, on 05/02/2008, -0/+8They have computers there
      • coffeebot, on 05/03/2008, -0/+2They have websites. .cu is the country code top level domain for Cuba.
        cubagob.cu is the Cuban government website.
        It's really very simple. They have internet and computers but sometimes the block against U.S. email works.
        They have also had limited cell phones since 1991.
  • fr0ng, on 05/02/2008, -2/+11Oh man, are they in for a suprise once they discover the internet..
    • BearinG, on 05/06/2008, -0/+2Yeah I'm wondering what they'll think or do once they get on the net..

      revolution?
  • Surefly, on 05/02/2008, -5/+7So does this mean we'll be able to find more Cuban porn?
  • Shawshanksr, on 05/02/2008, -4/+7wtf? they didnt have computers until now?!
  • moolaismyfriend, on 05/02/2008, -4/+6Thats great! It's such a shame that a very vocal group of a few thousand Cuban immigrants created a backwards anti-American foreign policy in regards to our relations with Cuba.

    I am glad that the very vocal and influential minority will now become irrelevant!
    • heystoopid, on 05/03/2008, -1/+1Oh no Miami has suddenly become an ex Cuban tard backwater with a bad coke habit :- )
  • Jalh, on 05/02/2008, -11/+3buried as inaccurate, computer sale in cuba is old, not legal , but old.
  • friedcalamari, on 05/02/2008, -7/+16Welcome to the internets Cuban friends! By the way, check this awesome video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eBGIQ7ZuuiU
    • nyx210, on 05/02/2008, -0/+10Someone didn't RTFA:

      "Except for some trusted officials and state journalists, most Cubans are banned from accessing the Internet at home. So many of these new computers may never be connected to the Web."
    • tomwhughes, on 05/02/2008, -0/+8Haha it would be so weird being introduced to the rickroll now....after all we have been through
  • imightbewrong, on 05/02/2008, -7/+47but Michael Moore made Cuba look so good!
  • PabloMac, on 05/02/2008, -0/+46Time to prepare 1,394,043 email messages:
    REQUEST FOR ASSISTANCE IN A FINANCIAL TRANSACTION.
    I am interested in your partnership in business. This business proposal I wish to introduce you with is of mutual benefit and entirely based on mutual trust, cooperation and a high level of confidentiality as regard this transaction. I am seeking your assistance to enable me transfer the sum of US$130,500,000.00 (One Hundred and Thirty Million, Five Hundred Thousand United States Dollars) into your private/company account...
  • jjive, on 05/02/2008, -3/+5Ricky Ricardo said..."Lucy I'm home and going to look at porn on the internet"
  • WallaceFreeman, on 05/02/2008, -2/+11when is our grudge with cuba going to end? i mean they're just getting computers. I seriously doubt they're really a threat to us. I think we should start talking again.
    • laserdisc, on 05/04/2008, -0/+1I don't think the grudge is with Cuba but with Fidel Castro himself. The man was kinda a whack job if you ask me. But you maybe right that people mistake Castro for the nation of Cuba. heh.
  • Karna101, on 05/02/2008, -9/+9but, but, but i thought that cuba was this ideal place to live that gave away "free" health care?
    • piznut, on 05/02/2008, -6/+16Funny thing is..as ass backwards as it is, their health care system is actually surprisingly 'up to date', comparatively.. Im not going to pretend like they have a great health care system, but giving poor (and increasingly middle class) people substandard care is better then giving them none at all like we do in the US.
      • charliebucketts, on 05/02/2008, -5/+12It's not ass backward, health is more important than computers.
        • Karna101, on 05/03/2008, -2/+2first of all, to a healthy person, computers would be more important than health care, so quit forcing your morality down other people's throats. secondly, what socialists don't understand is that the private sector has no POWER over our lives, but government does. we should be taking "privileges" away from the government, not giving in to more government regulation. 50 years ago there was no Internet in our daily lives and people got along just fine, and now all of a sudden if a private ISP "censors" the Internet that we voluntarily purchase access too (and sign a waiver form) our "rights" are suddenly being taken away? it does not make any sense. do we have a "right" to a house? do we have a "right" to mercedes? if you don't like the Internet you are getting, go to another ISP. the market regulates better than the government, which is bureaucratic, inefficient, corrupt and most importantly has POWER over our lives. in fact, it is government that is the only entity that censors (television and radio), now with government interference with the internet we can expect more encroachment into it's affairs which is bad for everyone
          • Jashobeam5, on 05/05/2008, -0/+1You started out well. . . you ended a bit "hiding in a compound with a cache of ammo."
      • jamesLankford, on 05/03/2008, -6/+5you're an idiot
        poor people have excellent health care in america
        walk into any emgergency room and you'll see illegal immigrants filling the place up just waiting to get treated for the sniffles;
        they all get treated and never pay a dime
        • heystoopid, on 05/03/2008, -2/+2then explain two salient facts
          A/ the US tax payer spends twice as much as any first world nation with a national health system to support a health system that is of fifth world standard !
          B/ with a population of 300 million and forty three odd million without even basic health care cover really is not much to crow about is it !

          I am sure a few other people will find a few more facts , so eat crow my friend and have a happy groundhog day too !
      • Karna101, on 05/03/2008, -1/+3dude the only reason why poor people can't afford health care in the U.S. is because of a U.S. government that gives U.S. licensed M.D.'s a monopoly on providing medical care (when perfectly qualified Nurse Pratictioners are certainly capable of providing basic medical care as well as foreign M.D.'s at a presumably much lower cost -> thereby introducing a competitive market that will drive medical care prices down for the consumers). the only reason why prescription drugs are so costly is because the FDA has given the monopoly of prescription drugs to U.S. Pharmaceuticals that fund the FDA in return for their favors. If we got rid of the regulation then we could be allowed to buy safe drugs from Canada at a fraction of the cost. blame the government that does not provide a free market that ALWAYS drives down prices for consumers
        • Jashobeam5, on 05/05/2008, -0/+1My MD was foreign. She used an NP for basic cases. The costs were the same. Doctors are just fed up with the system in many states. We have lost several docs due to other states having better pro-doc policies.
  • Terasiel, on 05/02/2008, -2/+9We have a breaking news story! Today a group of Cuban refugees have traversed the ocean on a raft made entirely from disposed computer towers, keyboards, wired mouses, and flat screen monitors! - More on this at eleven.
    ... *commercial* "Castro: Dude, I'm getting a Dell!"
  • ccfoo242, on 05/02/2008, -5/+3How long until they find thehun.com?
  • mal1964, on 05/02/2008, -0/+1That's really cool!, Any step forward no matter wow big or small is a step forward.
  • Shadowgamers, on 05/02/2008, -1/+2The Cuban trade embargo is even affecting this digg? D:
  • baconz, on 05/02/2008, -6/+17Cuba is the perfect market for Vista. They'll think it's actually GOOD!
    • Dystisis, on 05/02/2008, -4/+2No they wont.
    • 1randomguyO8, on 05/03/2008, -0/+5ROFL reminds of that Seinfield episode where they try and give muffin stumps to the homeless, which the homeless reject in anger.
    • SSXDRN, on 05/03/2008, -4/+0They will not. They can't even run it with the PCs available to them now, figures a Cuban citizen would look after their money and convenience rather than upgrade their hardware so it can run slower than it would with XP or GNU/linux.
      I think it's a golden chance for GNU/Linux and Free software to make their systems popular, GNU and free software shares a little bit with some things from communism.
    • heystoopid, on 05/03/2008, -0/+1Sweet , so if the Cubans send money to legally purchase the software , M$ is automatically in breach of the US trade embargo rules and then be subject to heavy daily fines for each subsequent event !
  • charliebucketts, on 05/02/2008, -3/+6I wonder, How many people in other latin american countries can afford a personal computer? Most people in the WORLD do not have their own computer. And they live in capitalist countries like China. Cuba is not a communist country it is state capitalist or "socialist".
    • Dystisis, on 05/02/2008, -4/+1Agreed. Communism is per definition a stateless and classless post-capitalist society. All "communist" countries today and of the past have never been communist, they have been capitalist where the state usually has been given more power than usual. In some cases capitalism hadn't even been fully developed (like in early Soviet). From a strict material/economical point of view, the Russian revolution could more realistically been seen as a capitalist revolution not unlike the French.

      So, to summarize, communism is per definition a progress from capitalist means of production. Meaning, if a society hasn't gone under an advanced period of capitalism and its technological progress, leading to the necessity of technology and means of production being democratically and co-operatively managed by the society (think filesharing), then it is not a communist society. Now, try telling this to the press which is owned by those who do not profit from economic advancement...
    • 1randomguyO8, on 05/03/2008, -1/+2China just has the worlds biggest internet population.
      • Jashobeam5, on 05/05/2008, -0/+1In 2007 internet users reached 162 million in China. US has 208 million as of 2006.
    • kingraoul3, on 05/03/2008, -3/+2Where Cuba differs from other "Communist" countries is their progressive, proletarian leadership.
      This is the "danger" that Cuba represents, and the reason that the embargo against them persists, as opposed to the U.S. trade relations with China or Vietnam, which are lead by Stalinist collaborationists.
    • TheFinaleofSeem, on 05/03/2008, -0/+3Who says many in Cuba can afford one? They only JUST hit the official market, for crying out loud. And if the state is running business, then it is not capitalist in any way.
  • Fallout911, on 05/02/2008, -1/+25As a Cuban-American I can say that these are extremely exciting times!
  • Birukun, on 05/02/2008, -3/+5Oh noes! the Cuban people will now be armed with the knowledge of how to overthrow an oppressive government! All this from the Internets
    • Anonemousk, on 05/03/2008, -1/+8I guess the Americans are just lazy then, right?
      • Birukun, on 05/03/2008, -3/+2No, they have given up their right to vote and bear arms. All is not lost yet.
        • heystoopid, on 05/03/2008, -2/+2That disappeared when the Waco wacko sect of David Koresh was suppressed back in the Clinton era on April 19th , 1993 and then after January 10th 2001 ceased to a relevant issue period !
      • Surferess, on 05/03/2008, -0/+1Anon... Dude Snap! That one really hurts!
  • zeeohsix, on 05/02/2008, -3/+2i would have thought that as a communist country they would only allow "one o/s, for one type of computer, no competitors", but most people even in the US can't even buy a Mac.

    (this is a pre-emptive reply to any Mac fanboy comments)
  • musicpyrite, on 05/02/2008, -5/+5...And people have the nerve to argue about how communism is good or in any way acceptable.
  • dollar0dot02, on 05/02/2008, -0/+6DELL, HP. MSFT cannot export to Chine. So we can expect a lot of Lenovo Linux PC's there.
  • johnstar, on 05/03/2008, -0/+5"And besides, it's a form of healthy entertainment."
    cubachan here I come!!
    • JBSherman, on 05/03/2008, -0/+2I thought that was weird too, till i realized this kid can't get porn on his new computer. I wonder if they will try to form a Cuban BBS to trade warez and pr0n at 56k?
      • BearinG, on 05/06/2008, -1/+1haha...I find it awesome that you thought about that... I can finally kick some ass again in Legend of the Red dragon!
  • MikiMac, on 05/03/2008, -0/+3Will trade my mint condition Sinclair Spectrum 48k + DVD with over 1000 games, for a stretch of beach land (1 mile long minimum) near Havana.
  • verkon, on 05/03/2008, -0/+2Whow, wait, I can get a decent computer and a 22" LCD flat screen display for, 55 Euro's? Man have I've been scammed by NEC...
  • stix213, on 05/03/2008, -1/+7Glad to hear Cuba is joining the 20th century.
    • mempko, on 05/04/2008, -2/+1Yeah, they had a hard time doing it because of the draconian embargo the united states has on them.
      • stix213, on 05/05/2008, -0/+1Computers & cell phones weren't being held from the Cuban citizens because of the US embargo, but because of internal communist policies.
  • 1randomguyO8, on 05/03/2008, -1/+7I think the Cuban Revolution should die with Fidel, honestly. Sure, Capitalism isn't perfect but like Churchill said 'Capitalism is a horrible, horrible system but it's the best one we got"
  • SSXDRN, on 05/03/2008, -2/+1If they get legal internet access next, torrents may strike a victory and the RIAA/MPAA a pain in the ass. Depends on how it turns out but I'm rooting for it!
  • DteK, on 05/03/2008, -0/+6"The Cuban PCs have Intel Celeron processors with 80 gigabytes of memory and 512 RAM..."

    uh, what?
    • digitallysick, on 05/03/2008, -0/+5celeron ! The opression must stop!
    • pogfreak, on 05/03/2008, -0/+4typical noob mistake of calling hard drive space "memory".
  • RSS14, on 05/03/2008, -1/+2Pretty soon they will transfer data three times a day, that they will get data coming out of their ***** ears. - (a cookie for the one who gets the reference)
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