Cuba Declares War on Windows
The land of Castro has gone open source.
In an effort to rid every computer in the country of the American-designed Windows OS, the Cuban government has banned the software and created its own Linux-based operating system.
The Communist country 90 miles off the coast of Florida calls the Linux OS "Nova", and the government considers it an integral piece in the fight against U.S. hegemony in Cuba. Shown at a Havana conference dedicated to "technological sovereignty", the goal is to have Nova replace Windows on computers all across the island.
While most of the world has enjoyed a consumer computer market for decades, the Cuban government only started allowing such a market last year. According to Cuba University's Information Sciences Director Hector Rodriguez, around 20 percent of computers on the island are already running some sort of Linux-based operating system.
"Private software can have black holes and malicious codes that one doesn't know about. That doesn't happen with free software," said Rodriguez. "I would like to think that in five years our country will have more than 50 percent migrated [to Linux]." The Linux movement may be in full swing for Cuban consumers, but many of the country's government agencies are resisting the change because of possible software compatibility issues.
While the netbook craze may see Linux become more popular with consumers in America, the percentage of Linux on PCs stateside is far below 20 percent.
The turn away from Windows is the latest move in Cuba's resistance to all things American, which has been ongoing since Fidel Castro took over the island nation in 1959. Rodriguez certainly sees a ideological link between Linux and Cuba, "The free software movement is closer to the ideology of the Cuban people, above all for the independence and sovereignty."
As a general purpose operating environment, which operating system do you prefper to use and why?

Um... For a end user, who doesn't know anything about code, I don't think this could be anymore farther from the truth... I'm positive the government issued linux will have no malicious code, or monitoring software built in... right? right?
Umm sure okay if you say so. Let me give you some of my "Free" software. I promise I didn't give myself backdoor access to your network.
In related news MS anticpates a drop in pirated copies of Windows.
Folks US companies cannot sell to Cuba so they were getting this through other means so I'm not sure why this would be a big deal other than showing a trend for Linux and to show how little freedom some people still have in the world when they can't even choose for themselves what OS they use.
Either that or I've been dreaming of the future again *sigh*
The best policy is to ignore it. What ever the problem in Cuba is, it's not going to be solved by Linux or any other OS.
Those other means are probably Microsoft selling resalable licenses to some foreign country, who then resells them in Cuba. Just because there is an embargo on Cuba doesn't mean people are pirating their copy of Windows.
For one thing, the embargo is older than the CPU, but somehow these people still have computers. They must all be running Sony PS3s, because Motorolla, IBM, Intel, and AMD are all American companys, meaning no modern CPU can be sold to Cuba. How does Cuba get modern american computers, but not modern american cars?
"CNOS...the new DOS!"
Ha, what a great line. That'll be a new ad for it, mark my words.
Then I can sue them.
I would really like to know where their processors are coming from. They are getting rid of "American OS" but they will be running Linux, powered by Intel! Too funny.
Especially eating. We Americans love eating!
oh...yea...you all are clearly free and all about independence. That must be why so many Cubans paddle small, crappy rafts, 90 miles across the ocean to come chill with your sworn enemies. Idiot.
BUT THEY HAVE TO USE IT !!!!! **Cough** Communist