Editing AnandTech

{{Short description|Defunct online computer hardware magazine owned by Future plc}}
{{Redirect|atot|other uses|ATOT (disambiguation){{!}}ATOT}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=March 2025}}
{{Infobox website
| name = AnandTech
| logo = AnandTech logo.png
| screenshot = AnandTech home page screenshot.png
| collapsible = yes
| collapsetext = Screenshot
| type = Online [[computer hardware]] [[magazine]]
| url = {{URL|http://www.anandtech.com}}
| launch_date = {{start date and age|1997|04}}
| dissolved = {{End date and age|2024|08|30}}
| successor = [[Tom's Hardware]]
| owner = [[Future plc]]
| author = [[Anand Lal Shimpi]]
| editor = Ryan Smith (2014-close)
| current_status = Defunct
}}

'''''AnandTech''''' was an [[online]] computer hardware magazine owned by [[Future plc]]. It was founded in April 1997 by then-14-year-old [[Anand Lal Shimpi]],<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://money.cnn.com/magazines/fsb/fsb_archive/1999/12/01/271048/index.htm|title=The Web Kid Anand Lal Shimpi is a typical high schooler—except for his megahot computer-review site|author=Stephen Banker|publisher=CNN|date=1 December 1999}}</ref> who was CEO and editor-in-chief until August 2014, with Ryan Smith replacing him as editor-in-chief. The website was a source of hardware reviews for off-the-shelf components and exhaustive benchmarking, targeted towards computer-building enthusiasts, but later expanded to cover mobile devices such as smartphones and tablets.

Some of their articles on mass-market products such as mobile phones were [[Broadcast syndication|syndicated]] by [[CNNMoney]].<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://money.cnn.com/2010/07/15/technology/iphone_beta|title=IPhone signal bar fix shows AT&T's weak spots|publisher=CNN | first1=Brian|last1=Klug|date=15 July 2010}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=https://money.cnn.com/galleries/2010/technology/1007/gallery.droidX/10.html|title=Droid X is the new Android champ|publisher=CNN | date=27 July 2010}}</ref> The large accompanying [[Internet forum|forum]] is recommended by some books for bargain hunting in the technology field.<ref name="CohenSadun2003">{{cite book|author1=Dennis R. Cohen|author2=Erica Sadun|title=Mac Digital Photography|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=j8cVuIsLzb0C&pg=PA37|year=2003|publisher=John Wiley and Sons|isbn=978-0-7821-4272-3|pages=37}}</ref> AnandTech was acquired by [[Purch]] on 17 December 2014. Purch was acquired by Future in 2018.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.foliomag.com/uk-based-future-acquires-purch-for-132-5-million/|title=UK-Based Future Acquires Purch for $132.5 Million|date=2018-07-19|website=Folio|language=en-US|access-date=2018-12-18}}</ref>

On August 30, 2024, the publication shut down.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Smith |first=Ryan |title=End of the Road: An AnandTech Farewell |url=https://www.anandtech.com/show/21542/end-of-the-road-an-anandtech-farewell |access-date=2024-08-30 |website=www.anandtech.com}}</ref><ref>{{Cite AV media |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ud6DWmWcHaY |title=AnandTech has Closed. |date=2024-08-30 |last=TechTechPotato |access-date=2024-08-30 |via=YouTube}}</ref> The content of the website was said to be preserved, but no new articles or reviews would be published. The AnandTech forums would continue to operate.

== History ==
In its early stages, Matthew Witheiler was co-owner and Senior Hardware Editor, creating insightful and in-depth reviews for the site.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.flybridge.com/team/Matthew-Witheiler/detailed-bio |title=Matthew Witheiler Bio – Flybridge Capital Partners |access-date=2014-12-12 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141213020938/http://www.flybridge.com/team/Matthew-Witheiler/detailed-bio |archive-date=2014-12-13 }}</ref>

In 2006, an AnandTech editor launched a spin-off called ''[[DailyTech]]'', a technology news site. The move followed a similar evolution of the news section of AnandTech's peer publication, [[Tom's Guide]], into [[TG Daily]] some months earlier.

On December 17, 2014, Purch announced the acquisition of Anandtech.com.<ref>"Purch Acquires AnandTech, Dominates Tech Expert and Enthusiast Market" [http://purch.com/purch-acquires-anandtech-dominates-tech-expert-and-enthusiast-market/ Purch.com] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150222074939/http://purch.com/purch-acquires-anandtech-dominates-tech-expert-and-enthusiast-market/ |date=2015-02-22 }}</ref>

In 2018, Anandtech and other Purch consumer brands were sold to Future.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.futureplc.com/brand/anandtech/|title=AnandTech|website=Future|language=en-US|access-date=2018-12-18}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.anandtech.com/show/13092/future-plc-to-acquire-conmsumer-division-of-anandtech-publisher-purch|title=Future plc to Acquire Consumer Division of AnandTech Publisher Purch|last=Smith|first=Ryan|website=www.anandtech.com|access-date=2018-12-19}}</ref>

The editorial team also included Senior Editor Ian Cutress (who departed in February 2022<ref>{{Cite web |last=Cutress |first=Ian |date=2022-02-18 |title=From There to Here, and Beyond |url=https://www.anandtech.com/show/17270/going-from-there-to-here-and-beyond |access-date=2022-12-23 |website=AnandTech}}</ref>),<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.anandtech.com/Author/140|title = AnandTech &#124; Articles by Dr. Ian Cutress}}</ref> as well as Motherboard expert Gavin Bonshor.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.anandtech.com/Author/200|title = AnandTech &#124; Articles by Gavin Bonshor}}</ref> In January 2023,<ref>{{Cite web |title=AnandTech {{!}} About AnandTech |url=https://www.anandtech.com/home/about/ |access-date=2024-01-24 |website=www.anandtech.com}}</ref> Gavin Bonshor was promoted to the Senior Editor position, effectively replacing Dr. Ian Cutress, the previous Senior Editor.

On August 30, 2024, AnandTech announced that it had ended publication effective immediately. The site will remain online as an archive, while its community forum will remain operational.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Smith |first=Ryan |title=End of the Road: An AnandTech Farewell |url=https://www.anandtech.com/show/21542/end-of-the-road-an-anandtech-farewell |access-date=2024-08-31 |website=www.anandtech.com}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Conway |first=Adam |date=2024-08-30 |title=After 27 years, legendary tech site AnandTech has shut down |url=https://www.xda-developers.com/after-27-years-legendary-tech-site-anandtech-shut/ |access-date=2024-08-31 |website=XDA |language=en}}</ref>

==Reviews==
Describing AnandTech in 2008, author Paul McFedries wrote that "its heart and its claim to fame is the massive collection of incredibly in-depth reviews".<ref>{{Cite book| last = McFedries| first = Paul| author-link = Paul McFedries| title = Build It. Fix It. Own It: A Beginner's Guide to Building and Upgrading a PC
  | publisher=Que Publishing
  | year=2008|page= [https://archive.org/details/builditfixitowni0000mcfe_q1d5/page/172 172]|url = https://archive.org/details/builditfixitowni0000mcfe_q1d5| url-access = registration| quote = AnandTech.| isbn = 978-0-7897-3827-1}}</ref> In 2008, blogging expert Bruce C. Brown called AnandTech one of the "big dogs in the tech field".<ref>{{Cite book
  | last = Brown
  | first = Bruce C.
  | title = The Secret Power of Blogging: How to Promote and Market Your Business, Organization, Or Cause with Free Blogs
  | publisher=Atlantic Publishing Company
  | year = 2008
  | pages = 194
  | url = https://books.google.com/books?id=Jnj9kIi_D8EC&q=%22AnandTech%22&pg=PA194
  | isbn = 978-1-60138-009-8}}</ref> In 2005, computer expert [[Leo Laporte]] described AnandTech as an "outstanding review and technology website for 3D hardware and other computer components"<ref>{{Cite book| last = Laporte
  | first = Leo
  | author-link = Leo Laporte
  | author2 = Soper, Mark Edward
  | title = Leo Laporte's PC help desk
  | publisher=Que Publishing
  | year = 2005
  | pages = 336
  | url = https://books.google.com/books?id=QA8Vfjn5C5UC&q=%22AnandTech%22&pg=PA336
  | isbn = 978-0-7897-3394-8
  }}</ref> and said that it is "one of the most professional hardware review sites online".<ref>{{Cite book
  | last = Laporte
  | first = Leo
  | author-link = Leo Laporte
  | title = Techtv: Leo Laportes 2003 Technology Almanac
  | publisher = [[Pearson Education]]
  | year = 2005
  | pages = 128
  | url = https://books.google.com/books?id=h2lnIddf8RYC&q=%22AnandTech%22| isbn = 978-0-7897-2847-0
  }}</ref>

== Forums ==
AnandTech has over 350,000 registered users and over 35 million posts.<ref>{{cite web
| url         = http://forums.anandtech.com/
| title       = AnandTech Forums
| access-date  =15 May 2011
| publisher   = AnandTech
| archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20110518085243/http://forums.anandtech.com/| archive-date= 18 May 2011 | url-status= live}}</ref> The AnandTech forums are home to distributive computing teams, known collectively as TeAm AnandTech (or simply The TeAm). AnandTech contains a wide variety of sub-forums, including the casual environment of AnandTech Off-Topic (or ATOT as the members call it) to the far more technical Highly Technical forum. AnandTech also maintains several highly regulated e-commerce forums, such as Hot Deals and For Sale/For Trade.

In July 2007, the forum underwent major changes that site administrators stated as necessary for furthering userbase growth. The profanity filter was removed (although use of vulgar language is limited), and the identities of traditionally anonymous volunteer moderators were revealed (except two).<ref>{{cite web
| url         = http://forums.anandtech.com/messageview.aspx?catid=75&threadid=2070583
| title       = AnandTech Forum Guidelines
| access-date  =15 May 2011
| last        = Wilson
| first       = Derek
| date        = 11 July 2007
| publisher   = AnandTech
|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071114215201/http://forums.anandtech.com/messageview.aspx?catid=75&threadid=2070583
| archive-date = 14 November 2007
}}</ref>

== See also ==
* [[CNET]]
* ''[[Maximum PC]]''
* [[TechCrunch]]
* [[The Tech Report]]
* ''[[Tom's Hardware]]''
* [[ZDNet]]
* [[List of Internet forums]]

== References ==
{{Reflist|30em}}

== External links ==
* {{Official website|http://www.anandtech.com}}

{{Future plc}}
{{italic title}}

[[Category:Future plc]]
[[Category:Computing websites]]
[[Category:Magazines established in 1997]]
[[Category:Magazines disestablished in 2024]]
[[Category:American technology news websites]]
[[Category:Computer magazines published in the United States]]
[[Category:Online computer magazines]]