Hungarian software firm unveils bronze Steve Jobs statue

HUNGARIAN SOFTWARE COMPANY Graphisoft will unveil a bronze statue of the late co-founder of Apple, Steve Jobs, in a move to commemorate his contribution to the industry.

The 7-foot, 485 pound bronze statue was created by Hungarian sculptor Erno Toth. It shows Jobs in his trademark attire - a turtleneck, jeans, sneakers and glasses.

The figure shows Jobs with his arm outstretched holding what appears to be an Iphone. Explaining the reasoning for this pose, Toth said that Jobs was a big advocate for the use of the hand in presentations, since he believed it was the intermediary between man and computer.

Graphisoft received financial and marketing support for its ArchiCAD 3D design software from Jobs, who met Graphisoft's founder Gabor Bojar in 1984. This statue is a clear demonstration of how much of an influence Jobs had on the company.

Apple's products have been popular in Hungary, despite low income and economic uncertainty surrounding the Eurozone crisis. Jobs has also been celebrated and commemorated in Hungary since his death from cancer in October.

"I think it is very rare when someone dies - maybe the last time it happened was with Michael Jackson - that such a frenzy and so much empathy could be seen among people," said Andras Horvath, owner of Hungarian Apple retailer XMS, according to the Associated Press.

"I feel that Jobs really changed not just the world of Apple but also the competitors' computers and telephones. At some level, everyone feels his influence, his megalomania, his pursuit of perfection. This can be found in every IT product."

The statue will be unveiled on 21 December in the Graphisoft Park, a technology complex in Budapest. µ