Hardware enthusiast site AnandTech is shutting down after nearly three decades of covering computers. AnandTech’s final editor-in-chief, Ryan Smith, announced the news in a farewell post this morning, writing, “...Few things last forever, and the market for written tech journalism is not what it once was — nor will it ever be again. So, the time has come for AnandTech to wrap up its work, and let the next generation of tech journalists take their place within the zeitgeist.”
AnandTech was founded in 1997 by Anand Lal Shimpi, who led the site until retiring from journalism in 2014 to work for Apple as part of the team that delivered the M series Apple Silicon chips. Before leaving, Shimpi spoke with The Verge in 2011 about his frustrations with the “cable-TV-ification of the internet” — or online media moving away from high-quality, in-depth analysis toward sensationalism and clickbaity content:
Which trend makes you gnash your teeth in frustration?
Something I call the cable-TV-ification of the internet. For the past several years it seems as if there has been a trend away from ultimate understanding in content online and towards the tenets of modern mainstream media (sensationalism and the general silliness you see on US cable TV news). The transition isn’t anywhere near complete, but I feel like that’s the direction things are headed. We have to learn from the mistakes of our predecessors, not repeat them with sweeter technology.
AnandTech as a site made a point of resisting that trend, which Smith also called back to in his farewell note.
Over the years, the site built a loyal audience among hardware lovers due in large part to its detailed reviews of motherboards, chips, and other hardware components. The quality of its analysis made it a resource for PC builders, academics, fellow journalists, and anyone fascinated by the inner workings of a computer.
When any beloved site is shuttered, there’s always a question of what happens to the content. For now, AnandTech fans can breathe a sigh of relief. Smith writes that Future PLC, AnandTech’s publisher, will keep the site’s archive indefinitely. The active AnandTech Forums will also continue to operate and be moderated by Future’s community team.
