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.webp) Screenshot of the website in December 2024 | |
Type of site | Technology website |
|---|---|
| Available in | English, French, Italian, Russian, Turkish |
| Owner | Purch (Future) |
| Created by | Thomas Pabst |
| Editor | Avram Piltch |
| URL | tomshardware |
| Launched | April 1996; 29 years ago (1996-04) |
| Current status | Active |
Tom's Hardware is an online publication owned byFuture plc and focused on technology. It was founded in 1996 by Thomas Pabst.[1] It provides articles, news, price comparisons, videos and reviews on computer hardware and high technology. The site features coverage onCPUs,motherboards,RAM, PC cases,graphic cards, display technology, power supplies anddisplays,storage, smartphones, tablets, gaming, consoles, andcomputer peripherals.
Tom's Hardware has aforum and featuredblogs.
Tom's Hardware was founded in 1996 asTom's Hardware Guide in Canada by Thomas Pabst.[1] It started using the domain tomshardware.com in September 1997 and was followed by several foreign language versions, including Italian, French, Finnish and Russian based on franchise agreements.[2][3][4][5]
While the initial testing labs were in Germany and California,[6] much ofTom's Hardware's testing now occurs in New York and a facility inOgden, Utah, owned by its parent company. In April 2007, the site was acquired by the French company Bestofmedia Group.[7] In July 2013, that company was acquired byTechMediaNetwork, Inc.,[8] which changed its name to Purch in April 2014.[9] Purch's consumer brands, includingTom's Hardware, were acquired byFuture in 2018.[10][11]
The site celebrated its 20th anniversary in May 2016.[12] Beyond continuous publication of the website, it is known for its overclocking championships and other contests.[13][14]
Avram Piltch is the current editor-in-chief ofTom's Hardware.[15] Prior to starting the position in 2018, he worked for sister sitesTom's Guide andLaptop Mag. Prior to that, John A. Burek, formerly ofComputer Shopper, briefly held the role.[16]
Burek succeeded Fritz Nelson, who served from August 2014 through 2017. Other former editors-in-chief include Chris Angelini (July 2008 – July 2014), Patrick Schmid (2005–2006), David Strom (2005), Omid Rahmat (1999–2003) and founder Thomas Pabst (1996–2001).[12]
Tom's Hardware is owned byFuture plc, which also owns a number of other websites. In technology, those includeTom's Guide (formerlyGear Digest),[17]Laptop Mag andAnandTech,[18] as well as science sites likeLiveScience andSpace.com.
In March 2018 the German spin-off was to be closed because of the new data/privacy laws, but continued as an independent site (tomshw.de), with an exclusive license for the local usage of the brand name.[19]
In July 2019 the license was returned. After that the German CEO and editor-in-chief of the gotIT! Tech Media GmbH started a new website Igor´sLAB[20] and his own YouTube channel.[21]
Tom's Guide (formerly known asGearDigest[22]) is an online publication owned byFuture that focuses on technology, with editorial teams in the US, UK and Australia.Tom's Guide was launched in 2007 by Bestofmedia, which was subsequently acquired by TechMediaNetwork in 2013; in 2014, TechMediaNetwork changed its name to Purch, which was acquired by Future in 2018.[23] Primarily focused on news, reviews, price comparisons, how-tos and guides,Tom's Guide also features opinion articles and deals content.
The site features coverage onCPUs,motherboards,RAM, PC cases,graphic cards, display technology,displays,storage, smartphones, tablets, gaming, consoles, fitness and health, home, smart home, streaming, security andcomputer peripherals.
It is the second-largest consumer technology, news and review site from the US with 68.4 million visits in September 2022.[24]
Tom’s Guide was originally launched asGearDigest by Bestofmedia before being renamed toTom's Guide. The publication was subsequently acquired by TechMediaNetwork in 2013; in 2014, TechMediaNetwork changed its name to Purch, which was then acquired byFuture in 2018.
While the initial testing labs were in Germany and California, much ofTom’s Guide's testing now occurs in New York and a facility inOgden, Utah owned by its parent company,Purch.
In April 2007, the site was acquired by the French company Bestofmedia Group. In July 2013, that company was acquired byTechMediaNetwork, Inc., which changed its name to Purch in April 2014.
The site celebrated its 15th anniversary in 2022. Beyond continuous publication of the website, it is known for its annual CES awards[25] andTom's Guide Awards[26] that are held in June and July each year.
Mark Spoonauer is the current Global Editor-in-Chief and has been since 2013.[27] Before that, he worked as the Editor-in-Chief ofLaptop Mag since 2003.[28]
Mike Prospero is the current US Editor-in-Chief alongside Managing Editors Philip Michaels, Jason England, Nick Pino and Senior Deals Editor Louis Ramirez.[23]
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