27 years of loyal service, but a giant of the tech press is closing its doors.
Some news is less pleasing than others, especially if, like us, you're a computer enthusiast, used to benchmarking and testing new products. Indeed, we have just learned from its editor-in-chief, Ryan Smith, that the AnandTech site has been closed down by its owners, the British firm Future PLC. Closure is not quite the right word, since the content already published is still accessible - and will be "indefinitely" if Future PLC is to be believed - and the forums remain online. That said, for the latter, it doesn't seem possible to create a new account any more: they'll probably go downhill pretty quickly. As for the rest, there will be no new features, no new tests.
In the center, Anand Lal Shimpi - here in 2014 - founder of the site © AnandTech
AnandTech is something of a legend in the world of technical press. The site was founded in 1997 by Anand Lal Shimpi, who was just 14 when he embarked on his adventure. Over the years, AnandTech has become a must-read when it comes to testing tech products, particularly processors and graphics cards. Anand Lal Shimpi was unanimously recognized for his expertise and in-depth dossiers, so much so that in 2014 he was poached by Apple. This was the first major shake-up for AnandTech, which was nevertheless able to count on Anand Lal Shimpi's loyal lieutenant, Ryan Smith, to take over.
The latter's career as editor-in-chief had been anything but a smooth ride, with Purch buying him out in December 2014 and, perhaps more importantly, Future PLC taking over all the group's publications in 2018. Future PLC became a heavyweight in the Anglo-Saxon technical press, and today includes titles such as Tom's Hardware, Tom's Guide, TechRadar and PC Gamer. We don't know if it's the plethora of titles, AnandTech's flagging revenues or a bit of both, but Future PLC has decided to shut down the site. A new page has been turned.
