In the Hungarian capital of Budapest, the memory of Steve Jobs has been cast in bronze. A Hungarian software company will unveil a bronze statue commemorating the co-founder of Apple on Dec. 21 in recognition of his leadership and vision, and appreciation for Jobs' support of the fledgeling firm while Hungary was still under communist rule.
Graphisoft founder Gabor Bojar first met Jobs in 1984 at an information technology trade show in Germany, where the company founded behind the Iron Curtain in 1982 was presenting the first version of its ArchiCAD three-dimensional design software on Apple's Lisa computer.
"Steve Jobs was very much convinced about the technology and he offered financial and also marketing support for the company," said Akos Pfemeter, Graphisoft's director of global marketing. "We received some financial support and Steve Jobs helped us distribute our products in the Apple distribution network."
Hungarian sculptor Erno Toth's statue depicts Jobs, who died on Oct. 5, with all his trademark characteristics — a mock turtleneck, jeans and sneakers, round glasses and well-trimmed stubble. Toth chose to show the inventor making one of his legendary product presentations, one arm outstretched, the other holding a remote control with an uncanny resemblance to an iPhone.
"Jobs said that the hand is very important in a presentation and the hand is the intermediary energy between man and computer," Toth said while putting the finishing touches on the statue at the Leonardo Gold foundry in southern Budapest. "I liked his personality, and at the same time his temperament and movements were inspiring."
The nearly 7-foot-tall (2-meter) statue weighing 485 pounds (220 kilograms) will be placed in Graphisoft Park, a Budapest complex home to several high-tech businesses. "His designs are also very attractive, so his memorial plaque will be in the shape of the iPad," Toth said, and will highlight a quote — "The only way to do great work is to love what you do."
Despite Hungarians' relatively low average income and the financial crisis sweeping across much of Europe, hundreds of thousands of Apple products have been sold in the country, and Jobs' death inspired tributes similar to others around the world.
"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 XMS, one of Hungary's largest Apple retailers.
"I feel that Jobs really changed not just the world of Apple but also the competitors' computers and telephones," Horvath said. "At some level, everyone feels his influence, his megalomania, his pursuit of perfection. This can be found in every IT product."
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| Bronze statue of late Steve Jobs |
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