Having an important place in the hardware and technology world AnandTechhas decided to end its publication life after almost 30 years. This decision was announced in a farewell statement by the site’s last editor-in-chief Ryan Smith. In his farewell article, Smith drew attention to the decreasing interest in written content in the technology world and said, “Written technology journalism is not as popular as it used to be, and it is unlikely that this will change in the future. For this reason, AnandTech has decided to end its operations.”
When AnandTech was founded in 1997 by Anand Lal Shimpi, it started out as a platform that aimed to provide in-depth analysis and objective reviews of the hardware world. Over time, the site attracted attention with its detailed reviews, especially on motherboards, processors and other computer hardware. These detailed analyses attracted the attention of not only technology enthusiasts but also academic circles and technology journalists. However, with the transformation of the internet, the interest in in-depth analyses decreased and more superficial and click-oriented content came to the fore, making the future of the site difficult.
The transformation of online media and the decision to close AnandTech
Before joining Apple in 2014, AnandTech founder Anand Lal Shimpi expressed his discomfort with the changes in online media. In a 2011 interview with The Verge, he discussed a process he described as the “cable-TVization” of the internet. He noted that in-depth content was being replaced by sensational and superficial content. Shimpi believed that this situation was taking a step back in the development of the medium. Although AnandTech resisted this trend and continued to offer in-depth content, changing media consumption habits over time played a role in the decision to close the site.
As Smith noted in his farewell piece, AnandTech’s demise marks the end of an era in tech journalism. The waning popularity of written content and the shift in digital media toward quicker, shorter content make it difficult for such platforms to survive. However, AnandTech’s content over the years has left its mark on the tech world.
With the closure of AnandTech, the fate of the site’s content has also been a matter of curiosity. However, Ryan Smith stated that the site’s archives will be maintained by Future PLC. This means that those who have been following the site for many years will continue to have access to content published in the past. In addition, AnandTech’s popular forums will remain active and will be managed by Future’s community team.
The closure of AnandTech raises important questions about the future of written technology journalism. In this era of ever-evolving online media, journalism based on in-depth analysis is being replaced by faster-consumed content, and such platforms are becoming increasingly difficult to maintain. The closure of AnandTech is seen as a reflection of this change in the technology world.