Although Cubans have been able to get underground PCs for a while now, the Cuban government only recently
lifted the official ban on them, and the first publicly-available machines just went on sale Friday. The state-approved QTECH PCs are only available at one store, where crowds formed to gawk at some pretty clunky tech -- the $780 towers feature Celeron processors, 512MB of RAM, Windows XP, and come with a CRT display. Not only that, but most Cubans won't even be allowed to have Internet access as only "trusted officials" and state journalists are allowed home net access. That's a pretty weak state of affairs, but it's not necessarily as dire as it seems: now that computers are legally available, some Cubans expect black market prices on up-to-date gear to come down. The managed economy in action -- anyone know if Cubans have unofficial ways of getting online as well?
[Via
CNET]
posted May 3rd 2008 4:49PM
I know this is dumb and a bit off topic, but with the blockade and all, the computers won't be able to run legal copies of Windows. Or have Intel or AMD chips for that matter. What do you guys think they will run as their OS?
linux???
There are 'underground' ways to get online, but pricey and hard to get by....I forgot what someone (who recently arrived from Cuba) told me, but it was a steep price, and just for dialup.
And considering what the wages of an average Cuban are, well, forget it, basically.
Dial Up huh? At least they can still play StarCraft without any lag =D on b.net
YAY
NOW THEY CAN PLAY CRYSIS !
Flashpoint, are you kidding? Hell, even the Americans with their multimillion dollar supercomptuers cannot even play CRYSIS. What makes you think dial up and a Celeron with chipset graphics will accomplish that arduous task?
@caps lock
http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/sarcasm
>@Charlie
>http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/sarcasm
that woman is like 'sheeeeeet, where's the ethernet?'
More like, "Goddamn this rig's got junk in da trunk."
"The managed economy in action"
Please don't make sweeping generalizations.
This is a managed economy controlled by a totalitarian government.
It isn't representative of every managed economy.
You uh... you shouldn't be a socialist mmkay? Cause, eh, socialism's bad, mmkay? Mmkay...
Queue uninformed retards voting this down because they don't understand socialism or communism and often mistake totalitarianism for them.
Thank you.
If it's not opt-in, it's not socialism. Totalitarianism is different, and the losers who run nations like that are just using socialism as a buzz-word.
@Nikonov Um, Communism IS totalitarian, full stop. It's one of the cornerstones of a Communist country. Socialism CAN be totalitarian.
In Cuba, you get two sacks of rice every Christmas!
One sack to use for a shirt, one sack to use for pants!
My question is, know when they have the chance of choosing witch computer the oppressed inhabitants can buy, why do they choose old CRT monitors ?
Having in consideration that the shortage of power supply is one of the reasons they are moving so slow with unbanning electronic devices it is directly stupid to not release power efficient LCD instead for a slightly few more extra dollars. A dollar that is not wort a shit outside US territory. You know who to blame.
If the price of the state sanctioned computer did not tip you off already, things are not in sync with the rest of the free world in Cuba.
The difficulty with energy is not in the cost of production, it's in the stability. The power difference between a CRT and an LCD is minimal here, especially since the number of residents able to afford the offered computer is very slim. The difference would barely be a drop in the bucket.
Also, the dollar is worth exactly the same (basically) everywhere in the world. It is currently weak in comparison to other currencies, but it is still worth exactly one dollar.
But you're right on one count: I do know who to blame. I wholeheartedly blame the totalitarian government of Cuba, and the international community that continued to treat that government as legitimate. Good on you Raul, for every little step. Now let's work on the internet.
wow... that makes my computer look like its from outerspace! Maybe i could go there and trade mine for a house or missile or something
i Know look at the size of that thing... or perhaps the photography used a mad lense... I prefer to think that the cubans just have massive mad computers.
Maybe the woman is a dwarf.
I'd be happy if I could sell them a few of my old PCs for even 1/4 of the state price.
No, its still from here because they have that shitty Microsoft XP running on it.
How would this possibly lower black market prices for up to date gear? $780 for a tower with a Celeron?
"$780 for a tower with a Celeron?"
I can say BS.
It can, and will, lower prices because computer equipment is no longer inherently contraband. That makes it far easier to bring computer equipment across the border, and it provides a form of competition.
Cheaper will definitely not mean cheap, though.
"That's a pretty weak state of affairs."
Well certainly better than before. A small step is still a step.
Raul is definitely better than Fidel.
Please don't kill me, Cuban secret police.
a journey of a thousand miles starts with just one step - confucius
Sachin:
The Cuban secret police don't have internet, so they won't kill you.
They dont have internet because since almost 50 years Unites States of America is blocking their economy. it doesnt depend on cubans government, is about all USA block.
Venezuela is currently working on a suboceanic cable to connect cuba with venezuela so they can be able to have an affordable internet access.
You are so fucking ignorant! Just a tool to the Castro Brothers regime. This talk is just what Raul uses as an excuse for his shitty economy.
How in the world is this the USAs fault? This is Cubas totalitarian governments fault that has been blocking any sort of technological advancement since Fidel came to power.
The US blockade, which is enforced also by pressure in that if other countries deal with cuba they get blacklisted, means that they didn't have the capabilities to power the technology, nor the capability to easily import.
Any failure of the cuban economy IS mainly caused by the US, although that doesn't mean it would not have failed on its own if it had gotten the chance.
On the other hand if you aren't capitalist can you ever speak of a 'failed' economy really?
You might want to do a little research before you make such a claim.
The United States promised the Soviet Union that it would not invade Cuba or help anyone overthrow the government there in order to end the Cuban Missile Crisis. Technically, this is Russia's fault if you want to play the blame game.
Cuban propaganda uses the US blockade brillantly, convincing not only their own people, but westerners that the US blockade hurt them.
I'd say, the blockade only hurts the US and protects Cuba from being flooded by Americans.
The blockade was initially multinational, but every country but the US dropped it decades ago. Nothing is stopping every other country from selling to Cuba. Actually, many western countries do trade with them. If you go to Cuba, you'll find there German and Spanish hotels, European food products (in stores which are too expensive for Cubans). European cars are a plenty, mostly French and quite a lot of Czech Skoda's (German VW owned).
It's nothing but the totalitarian system that is the cause of Cuban misery.
Just to clarify: I have been to Cuba in recent years and I speak Spanish. I have lived under East-European communism. I know what I am writing about first-hand.
Cubans have been stealing internet for a while now. I chat with my friends online from time to time, they use regular dial-up. I'm not sure where they get the numbers to connect but what I am sure of is that they don't pay anything for it, it would be impossible to afford it. Raul is just trying to squeeze as much juice as possible from the people, so he can get even more filthy rich. But what the hell, at least they'll be able to get free porn.
Excellent
Now Cubans go to America and Smuggle good PCs
while American go to Cuba and Smuggle good Cigars
Thats you economy for you
For some reason i feel like watching "Scare Face" but instead of drugs make them processor chips, RAM, HDD, LCD,...
It proves that communism == freedom & prosperity. Vote Hillary Clinton !
Dude I think you have some misconceptions in your reasoning, which I will be happy to explain.
Cubans don't have internet because the government does not want subversive material to get to the hands of the public, pure and simple. The "US Blockade" is just the excuse Fidel and his peeps have been using for the last gazillion years, don't let yourself be fooled, the only real blockade in Cuba is the blockade in your freedom and individuality.
Crap that was meant for pach, stupid reply button....
Who needs internet to "go online"!?
Good lord, for years and years I hooked my trusty CPM machine up to a modem and BBSed my way, "email", message boards, file transfers, and all!
If that's true then you know why you'd do anything to avoid that pain, the hassle, the slowness, the waiting, the phone bill.
also there are no BBSs in operation today...
Microsoft isn't allowed to sell them things because it's a US company, correct?
*cough*
But then, we'll want their nation's IT riddled with as many back doors as possible naturally..
It says the computer comes with an Intel processor and Windows XP, both us companies.
Doesn't matter. US individuals / companies are prohibited from selling stuff to Cuba, directly. But It doesn't mean other countries cannot resell them. So in all probability, the comp is Made in China, the processor and other ICs are Made in Tiawan / China / Japan and the software may be the Latin American OR EU version.
As far as I know, US companies are not prohibited from selling stuff to companies / countries even if they know that company / country is going to resell it to Cuba. IMHO.
First cell phones, and now computers? How can people of the Socialist Paradise fight the evil capitalist American pig-dogs when they are allowed to become slaves to the evil American capitalism derived technology?
What's next? Holy Warriors who hate the West using Western technology to attack the West? The sheer hypocrisy of it all!
Yeah it's a sad thing how a brother of fidel is the undoing of cuba, if you want to drop communism then at least pick something else than freaking capitalism.
Wwhat. You are a jackass. Please step away from the microphone.
"if you want to drop communism then at least pick something else than freaking capitalism."
What?
Estoy en Cuba y ahora en Internet!
LOL, that was sweet.
Why is his name in english but his comment in spanish?
:D
I think it's more "Soy en Cuba"...
PCs? What about Macs?
What about 'em?
what about Macs? Anything wrong with them? what happened?
It's easier to build a shite pc?
Yeah, we all know how well suited macs are for the cuban market.
*rollseyes*
Besides, locking a wild cat in a shiny cage decorated with fierce logos doesn't change the fact that it's weaker, slower, and generally more pathetic than the one out roaming the jungle eating people alive.
By 'the one' I meant animal, not cat. I should have specified that.
Sphenisciformes aren't feline..
@ ethana2
what?
Don't mind him; he's just one of those people that for some reason thinks that Linux makes a good home desktop OS. This also causes him to believe that penguins live in jungles and are an apex predator there.
Pedazo de Cabron anti revolucionista te vas a quedar sin internet deja q te coja te voy a cortar las pelotas
aqui en cuba yo soy el unico con un monitor de pantalla plana y tengo una Mac para aguantar la puerta es para lo unico q sirven
hahahahaha!!!
If only I didn't stop taking Spanish... could only read like 75% of that.
Translation: Here in Cuba I'm the only one with a flat panel monitor and I have a Mac as a doorstop; that's all they're good for.
Fidel, where's my cigar, dude??
lol cuban mac haters
^Lol.
I guess the Cuban goverment, want to keep Pron ALL TO THEMSELVES.
No internet!!! What will they do with the computer then??? I mean a comp without downloaded p0rn is like... is like... well, it is so bad that I can't even find an analogy.
Raul, stop playing with their emotions, Man!
It's like getting the one and only pair of nike mcflys after your feet have been amputated, like winning a thousand yen, or buying an xbox 360 that only plays aquaman
this opens all sorts of doors
OLPC: one laptop per cuban
Great! Now Cubans can blog about how shitty their country is...oh wait, no internet. :(
Well, no interet and secret police....
If you look hard enough (e.g. first page of a Google search), they already do!
Maybe Psystar can open up it's 2nd store in Havana.
yep thats right NO internet only yo puedo tener internet all the cuban PrOn for me i refuse to share >:(
All the computers tendran una version full de solitario y spider y tambien muchas horas de divercion con PAINT
a few cubans have internet at their non-goverment jobs. I have family that communicates with us via Yahoo messenger and has been for years.
This IS truly a sad state of affairs. All technological aspects of the article aside, it is sad to think that this day in age the ability to gain knowledge and better oneself intellectually is being banned by a government. If the people of these totalitarian and communist governments had access to vast resources such as the internet long ago, they could perhaps see how badly they are being enslaved by their own governments. Of course, I'm pretty sure you don't need the internet to realize that anyways if you are a resident of said country. It just breaks my heart to know knowledge is treated like a narcotic.
1: Illegal Internet Connection line, how can I help you?
2: Yeah, I would like check my email on hotmail
1: Ok, Type in the following text into your text editor: enter enter
Hi all,
I'm Cuban living at europe for last 7 years and that's good news for my people!
when live at havana have PC, satellite internet connection and cell phone, all back market but was the only way before now...
next logical step are xdsl & ip access for Cubans but will take time for that, "amateur" wifi networks are providing wireless coverage and many have internet access.... if you go there and need ip access don't forgot ask for "wifi access" to Cubans
my cell company have GPRS Roaming at Cuba... good for email my parents
Fidel is probably freaking out because of this. By his brother taking over the couniry, Raul seems like he his easing some of the bans and some other things.
Castro must really be suffering now. His country will be flooded with Windows machines. No Macs, no democracy. Steve better jump on his jet and let those leaders play with a dozen iPhones and show them what they're missing. The power of OSX.
Yeah, that'll happen with the embargo. Cuba also clearly the communications infrastructure to make use of the iPhone, and its citizens the disposable income to spend on a phone instead of a more productive home computer. Proprietary practices coincide with democracy as well.
OH WAIT, THAT DOESN'T MAKE ANY SENSE.
Did you even think of the income of Cubans? They can't afford Steve's oh-so-good OSX machines which start at $1000.
If they're after basic computing capabilities such as word processing, internet surfing, or even playing older games like Warcraft III, a refurbished Pentium 4 or Athlon XP rig and a CRT monitor will be more than enough for them and around 10 of these will cost 1 new iMac or Macbook. You obviously haven't been to developing countries where most of the population rely on crappy (albeit useful PCs). Not everyone needs Core 2 Duos, Macs with OSX, Windows Vista, ATI HD 4800s, Geforce 8800s, etc. Hell, they might be even using Windows 98 or the really shitty Windows ME.
i'm Cuban American and just wanted to warn you guys; the vast majority of people with internet connection (people who would comment or blog or w/e) from Cuba are in some way involved with the government. very few with out communist connections can get internet (they do exist, just few and fearful). just keep that in mind at any point if you read someone raving about how great Cuba and its internet is and how they d/l pr0ns at 1tb/s and how they have all night COD4 frag fests on their nvidia fx5600's with 2gb of vram and soviet era phase change cooling.
Dude, the fx5600 has ALWAYS been a shitty card, even back when it came out like 5 years ago.
Even the Cuban Government hates Vista!
Don't quit your day job... Oh right, you don't have one. Don't dropout of school!
Maybe someone can reach a WiMAX network or strong wifi signal from republica dominicana or florida.
Mesh networks FTW!!
Have you ever seen anyone eating Pringles on Cuba? No, because Pringles is banned!
Yea, but they have a FREE Health Care system for everyone!
for my contry CELERON for me an extreme QUAD core
This is a step in the right direction, but these computers are still WAY expensive for the average Cuban. That $780 translates to around seven or eight months' income at the average rate (at least according to the figures I found), and many people subsist on well below that. Even with subsidized healthcare, food, and housing, I can't see many people having the disposable income for this.
And of course, there's still no internet (legally), but who's to say that once the infrastructure is in place and legal access is offered, the Cuban government won't employ a multitude of censorship tactics to keep "subversive" materials out of the hands of its citizens?