Cuba ends ban on DVD player, computer sales
By Nilay Patel 
posted March 13th 2008 3:03PM
posted March 13th 2008 3:03PM
Man, Fidel's out and already the kids are getting crazy: the Cuban government is finally allowing general consumers to buy various electronics, including DVD players and computers, for the first time. Only companies and foreigners were previously able to buy computers, while the looming threat of terrible Hollywood movies had forced Cuban authorities to seize DVD players at the airport. The change is due to "the improved availability of electricity," and Cubans can look forward to also picking up microwaves, 24-inch televisions, and rice cookers to plug into the new juice. Of course, it's not all flip flops and high-fives: air conditioners will not be available until next year, and the deadly menace known as the toaster will be restricted until 2010. Hope you like plain bread with your 
There was this guy who was unlocking iphones and apparently selling them for 900 dollars in cuba. Dont know if its true but guess its possible.
"Many Cubans expect the state to soon allow them to buy cellular
telephones. While they will now be able to buy computers, access to
the Internet remains controlled by the government."
actually you can get cell phones and internet but you really have to
have the right connections. some commodities you can buy in stores
with CUCs, such as cell phones, but they are really expensive and as
such, out of reach for most people. even if you can net access the
speeds are incredibly slow. not sure if there is a firewall akin to
china. also a lot of those things mentioned (dvds, computers) are on the black market but maybe now prices will go down?
Well. Cuba sucks much less than it did a day ago. Which means it still qualifies as SUCK!
gosh i think i need to get my back worked on and other chiropractic things....
http://www.theChrioNetwork.com/
gosh i think i need to get my back worked on and other chiropractic things....
http://www.theChiroNetwork.com/
than i can watch my DVDs on my new 27 incher.
Dont know if you have missed some part of the story over in the US.
In Europe the story read that Cubans now will be able to buy computers and DVD players etc only becouse thay have more energy and power now. Bigger things like AC`s and other energy eating machines are not legal due to the energy shortage.
But WHY did the americans leave this information out ?
I guess the new Castro maby is more liberal, but he is still a socialist.
Come on, CUBA is no threat to you guys. Destroy the embargo and se the island of Cuba grow to a new country. I dont think people will be less Socialistic over there, but socialismen and capitalismen have walked hand in hand in scandinavia for yers and it works perfect for us.
We give from our own money to the less fortunate by big taxes and we are still able to own iphones, BMW´s and houses with pools.
With all this post i only wanted to inform you that thay have wery little energy in Cuba, that is one of the reasons thay havn´t been able to own alot of bling bling status things 47" HDTV and Playstation3 with 60GB harddrives..
Sorry for my bad english..
We still love you USA, we only want you to chill a bit.
I think the US will chill out when Cuba chills on the imprisoning political reformers and leaders of pro-democracy organizations. You know, typical commie crap that goes on.
The embargo is a farse and should just be lifted. I know this because if it really worked regular people in cuba wouldn't drink cokes, talk on cellphones, have computers and watch the latest dvd releases (which they already do) or the latest episode of House or Prison Break (which yes, the also do)and many also surf the net.
So all the Cuban government is doing is saying, yeah we know people want and many already have these things so lets just make it legal because we can't really do anything to stop it, so let us (the government) sell these items to the people that way we (again the government) make the money.
Many people in cuba are really savvy about computers and actually make money off helping others with their internet connections, networks, etc. They also sell pcs, hardware and software to other people. Check out the classifieds on this page www.revolico.com
IMO the people who are trashing what the actual cubans are saying need to hush up a bit. They are the ones on the ground in cuba, who know what its really like to be there.
Sad news, soon cuba will be as cheap, pitiful and pathetic as us.
@ killer
Viva La DVD Players!
I've never commented on Engadget but love it and read it daily. I find it hard to follow the comments, due to the fact that most of them are hardly constructive and end up with pointless fanboy bouts. Usually you guys are far off when it comes to commenting on electronics, however you guys are so off on Cuba. Exactly what gives you guys a leg to stand on in regards to Cuban politics? Do us all a favor and go back to bitching about firmware updates and that stupid Pleo dinosaur. It pretty hard to comment on something when most of what you know comes from a 300 word article on Engadget.
Cuba has better health care? Sure its free and available to everyone, but good luck finding an adhesive bandage. Much less modern equipment and medicines. I am the son of Cuban immigrants. My parents fled in 1970 when it was more than obvious that Castro's, was a lost cause. They were both essentially poor peasants raised in rural Cuba. They came from nothing and yet managed to carve out an existence once they moved to Havana. They didn't flee because Castro took their property. They fled because daily life became close to impossible. Basic necessities became scarce, to non-existent. I love being Cuban and love my people and my culture, but history has demonstrated that we are piss poor as self governance. I almost believe we should have remained loyal to Spain and have them call the shots. Batista's regime was corrupt. Just like every other Caribbean/Latin American country then and now. The divide between the upper class and the lower class was huge, but at least there was a middle class. At least you were free to travel abroad think freely, own a home, get ahead, etc. Cuba today has no such options or liberties, the population there has essentially submitted to apathy, and mediocrity. Very few people feel the need to better themselves because there is not much to gain. A lot of my post-Castro relatives have actually gone back because they find it hard to believe that they actually have to work hard to make it here. Whether you have a job or not, you still get a decrepit roof over your head, and a measly ration to eat. Sure the embargo has done great harm, but no where near as much as the bull headed ego of Castro and his failed experiment. I'm by no means right-winged but there is a liberal mindset among certain people that Cuba is perfect, and we are a great evil. Please remember that this kook was allowing the USSR to aim nukes at us from just 90 miles away. They go to great lengths to promote Socialism while at the same time whoring themselves to foreign investors. My mom used to say that Spain ultimately won the revolution, as they own most of the Cuban landmarks and hotels in Havana, which by the way Cubans are forbidden to enter.
So they finally got DVD and only 10 years after its debut, now all they have to do is save a year's salary to be able to afford a $30 Coby. This is hardly news because people have had DVD and many other modern technology through the vast black market
Seriously a lot of people here need a F%%&in clue before they casually chime in with their ignorant opinions on a subject they know very little about.
Amen brother, you beat me to it. I was going to post something very similar to what you already said.
Im was born in Cuba, and came to this country 6 years ago for economical reasons. I can said your post was very accurated and insightful on such a complex subject.
Truth is, even without the US embargo, wich is not nearly as bad as the Cuban Goverment claims, Cuba does not have the means to buy merchandise from other countries. Reason why is the non existant Economy there. We dont manufacture or produce anything in enough quantities to export to other countries, even the sugar business is no more since Castro closed down most factories that produced it. In the end, its going to take more than the lift of the US embargo and a few dvd players to get Cuba back on its feet again.