Castro Retires, Cuba Gets Cellphones - Gizmodo Comments

Castro Retires, Cuba Gets Cellphones

kevman90 — Sat, 03 May 2008 14:21:39 EDT

jajajaj=hahah in english. good thing im taking spanish

kevman90

Castro Retires, Cuba Gets Cellphones

Oz — Sun, 30 Mar 2008 12:06:48 EDT

My uncle has one :). Oh and they also get to buy VCRs and TVs legally now! LOL

Castro Retires, Cuba Gets Cellphones

CGrant — Fri, 28 Mar 2008 22:42:05 EDT

@SchruteBuck: lol nice good thing I'm taking spanish

CGrant

Castro Retires, Cuba Gets Cellphones

Mike918 — Fri, 28 Mar 2008 17:03:44 EDT

If service here in Mexico is freaking expensive and full of flaws...good luck Cuba really good luck.

Mike918

Castro Retires, Cuba Gets Cellphones

Manve — Fri, 28 Mar 2008 16:45:28 EDT

t-h-i-s- -s-u-c-k-s!!!khm...big time.of course i don't live in cuba:(but it was so nice to think that there's a country wich is not a fking u.s.wannabe(under that i mean the worst countrie's-wannabe)

Manve

Castro Retires, Cuba Gets Cellphones

frigg — Fri, 28 Mar 2008 16:39:52 EDT

@smilleyofais: @packetsniffer: "Haha and I must say I am enjoying your diction and candor. (Well, except for expresso/espresso, but I digress.)"

Bobby Flay here.

Yes, thanks. Ever since I lisped my way through chef school, I have never been able to get that one right, damn it. But I am working on it, I promise, and I appreciate your patience. In the meantime, please help yourself to another fillet of sea bass with my special ancho chili balsamic reduction drizzled onto it, while I slink off into the corner and practice...

Expresso. Expresso. Exsssssssspresso.

Almost!!!!

frigg

Castro Retires, Cuba Gets Cellphones

lafond66 — Fri, 28 Mar 2008 16:02:40 EDT

I can see family in the states funding cell phones for people in Cuba.

lafond66

Castro Retires, Cuba Gets Cellphones

Redwraithvienna — Fri, 28 Mar 2008 15:30:32 EDT

Will they have to pay normal or convertible pesos for the service ? I am guessing CUC$ since that would actually bring some money into the state coffers ... but which would put the cell phones out of reach for most people since the course is 24 : 1 - CUC$ : CUP

Redwraithvienna

Castro Retires, Cuba Gets Cellphones

packetsniffer — Fri, 28 Mar 2008 14:40:10 EDT

@frigg:
Hmm, yes, good point. Haha and I must say I am enjoying your diction and candor. (Well, except for expresso/espresso, but I digress.)

packetsniffer

Castro Retires, Cuba Gets Cellphones

smilleyofais — Fri, 28 Mar 2008 14:03:15 EDT

@packetsniffer: I didn't want to correct frigg so well done, well done. I'm pretty sure Mr. Mayer would know how to spell and use grammar. I could be wrong though.

smilleyofais

Castro Retires, Cuba Gets Cellphones

frerad — Fri, 28 Mar 2008 13:28:36 EDT

So what exactly is the spanish translation of "ROFL" "WTF" and "IMHO"?

And wouldn't the entire island just have one plan with everyone getting shared minutes. Seems more socialist that way.

frerad

Castro Retires, Cuba Gets Cellphones

frigg — Fri, 28 Mar 2008 13:23:37 EDT

@packetsniffer: "Seems more like where there's espresso (ahem), there are laptops; not necessarily cell phones."

Maybe I should say where there's expresso, there's laptops, and where there's laptops there's cellphones... or come back in a year and cellphones are the new laptops!

"On another note, am I missing the extended humor of your pop culture references or are you really trying to get people to believe you're John Mayer? It's been four days since the John Mayer / Apple crash report story; seems like it's getting old after the 6th time or so, ya know?"

Sadly, you're not missing a thing. I am, in fact, belaboring the joke. Guilty as charged. On the other hand, I honor John Mayer's charming and candid response by incorporating it into my own. If everyone began every correspondence with "John Meyer here," surely the world would be a better place?

frigg

Castro Retires, Cuba Gets Cellphones

Out2gtcha — Fri, 28 Mar 2008 13:12:09 EDT

@Brookespeed:
"I sincerely hope that never gets old."

Too late.

Out2gtcha

Castro Retires, Cuba Gets Cellphones

Brookespeed — Fri, 28 Mar 2008 13:08:33 EDT

@frigg: "Hey Wilson, John Mayer here."

Ha! I sincerely hope that never gets old.

Brookespeed

Castro Retires, Cuba Gets Cellphones

frigg — Fri, 28 Mar 2008 13:06:58 EDT

@ripfire4: Strange but true. Adoption times for new inventions are reduced by around 50% every 10 years. It took 50 years for the telephone, invented in the late 19th century to reach significant usage levels. A century later, the cell phone took only a decade.

And it's not just the West. Kevin Kelly of Wired fame describes a remote Tibetan house he visited with no toilet in it... but it had a cellphone with better reception than what he gets at home.

frigg

Castro Retires, Cuba Gets Cellphones

avconsumer — Fri, 28 Mar 2008 12:59:29 EDT

Ha - I smell democracy/capitalism. Does this mean nice hand rolled cigars soon?

avconsumer

Castro Retires, Cuba Gets Cellphones

Out2gtcha — Fri, 28 Mar 2008 12:57:26 EDT

Now that cell phones have arrived in Cuba, now all they need is get the population to get rid of their 1956 Pontiacs and trade for something ultra-modern like a 78 Pacer.

Out2gtcha

Castro Retires, Cuba Gets Cellphones

dkoch — Fri, 28 Mar 2008 12:46:01 EDT

Good news ... now Cubans can waste their time stalking their partners, lovers and children.

dkoch

Castro Retires, Cuba Gets Cellphones

Mayor McRib — Fri, 28 Mar 2008 12:14:22 EDT

Brilliant political move by Castro.
If you lock them into cellphone contracts they will have less income to spend on boats. Next move, 3 year gym memberships and everyone will be staying put forever.

Mayor McRib

Castro Retires, Cuba Gets Cellphones

discounteggroll — Fri, 28 Mar 2008 12:08:38 EDT

I didn't know castro was an active member of the engadget posse...

discounteggroll

Castro Retires, Cuba Gets Cellphones

packetsniffer — Fri, 28 Mar 2008 12:02:42 EDT

@frigg:
Seems more like where there's espresso (ahem), there are laptops; not necessarily cell phones. But you make a good point about developing nations making extensive use of cell phones.

On another note, am I missing the extended humor of your pop culture references or are you really trying to get people to believe you're John Mayer? It's been four days since the John Mayer / Apple crash report story; seems like it's getting old after the 6th time or so, ya know?

packetsniffer

Castro Retires, Cuba Gets Cellphones

Angryrider — Fri, 28 Mar 2008 11:57:26 EDT

Why bother? Do they REALLY need cellphones?

Angryrider

Castro Retires, Cuba Gets Cellphones

Rand — Fri, 28 Mar 2008 11:56:18 EDT

@92BuickLeSabre: I don't know whether to congratulate you or beat for that post. Such is the nature of puns. Well done sir.

Rand

Castro Retires, Cuba Gets Cellphones

ANoel — Fri, 28 Mar 2008 11:52:39 EDT

"Question is, how many can afford it?"

The currency is big, fat, schlong-sized under-the-table ceegarz for Daddy Warbucks.

ANoel

Castro Retires, Cuba Gets Cellphones

smilleyofais — Fri, 28 Mar 2008 11:51:16 EDT

I am going to Cuba in 2 weeks. I definitely didn't think about how nice it will be to not have to listen to annoying cell phone users telling sharing their conversations with everyone. Then again my Spanish isn't the greatest, so I probably wouldn't be able to understand anyway.

smilleyofais

Castro Retires, Cuba Gets Cellphones

92BuickLeSabre — Fri, 28 Mar 2008 11:41:58 EDT

It is time to Sprint toward freedom! We are on the EDGE of a great moment! Drop your T and mobile-ize! Sign up now and Next, tel your neighbors until you tel All!! This is a Cingular opportunity! It's where it's att! Freedom is just on the Verizon!

92BuickLeSabre

Castro Retires, Cuba Gets Cellphones

Monty — Fri, 28 Mar 2008 11:39:25 EDT

Considering how many used cell phones are piling up in places like the United States and Europe, I suspect they could join the cell phone craze for dirt cheap, as long as they don't need to be sporting iPhones.

Then again, maybe to celebrate the moment, Steve Jobs could send a million free iPhones to Cuba to try to corner the market.

Monty

Castro Retires, Cuba Gets Cellphones

ripfire4 — Fri, 28 Mar 2008 11:38:04 EDT

@frigg: So in other words, people in developing countries can barely make a living but still able to text home what they're having for dinner?

ripfire4

Castro Retires, Cuba Gets Cellphones

Paul — Fri, 28 Mar 2008 11:33:52 EDT

...but they have universal healthcare.

Paul

Castro Retires, Cuba Gets Cellphones

Hunty — Fri, 28 Mar 2008 11:20:18 EDT

Ha! All those political analysts who said that Raul wouldn't cell out Cuba sure have egg on their faces now!

Hunty

Castro Retires, Cuba Gets Cellphones

pradster — Fri, 28 Mar 2008 11:18:12 EDT

you know asian countries have much better cell phone systems, as their plans are not rip-offers!
i dont see cuba taking the american way....naah!
they will surely have cheap afordable cell phones co's which will be featured by Michael moore in his next movie "hello" on how the american phone co's have been stealing from your pockets!

pradster

Castro Retires, Cuba Gets Cellphones

Poltras — Fri, 28 Mar 2008 11:15:28 EDT

@SneakerFiend: Cultural reference + Well timed translation = funny.

Poltras

Castro Retires, Cuba Gets Cellphones

frigg — Fri, 28 Mar 2008 11:11:40 EDT

@Wison: "Question is, how many can afford it?"

Hey Wilson, John Mayer here.

The answer is everyone. There is no 'digital divide' in global cell phone usage which, at 1 cellphone for every 2 humans on the planet after only 25 years since its introduction, enjoys the fastest global distribution of technology in history.

Not only that, cellphones are the first telecommunication technology that actually has more users in the developing world at 60% of total usage, with 50% annual growth in Africa alone. In Bangladesh, which has 98% coverage, almost all of its 30 million telephone users have cellphones (there are only 1 million landlines in the country). And that's Bangladesh for crying out loud!

If rural Africa and Bangladesh can rock the cell, Cuba, with comparatively more resources and almost universal expresso consumption, will likely have one the fastest cellphone rollouts of any country to date. Expresso being the key.... where there's expresso, there's cellphones.

frigg

Castro Retires, Cuba Gets Cellphones

Evangelion — Fri, 28 Mar 2008 11:10:01 EDT

@SchruteBuck: I lol'ed!

Evangelion

Castro Retires, Cuba Gets Cellphones

SneakerFiend — Fri, 28 Mar 2008 11:04:49 EDT

@92BuickLeSabre: OK why all of a sudden are you speaking spanish???
Yo no se porque ustedes decidieron hablar en español =/
Ok back to the default language of the site.
Im sure that they will have plans like those of other Latin American nations and im sure verizon and Orange (the equivalent to AT&T) are going to start setting up networks in Cuba but i doubt they'll see even EDGE for maybe another year or two.

SneakerFiend