Laptop Mag shuts down in 2025 as Future PLC streamlines its operations, marking the end of a legacy of in-depth laptop reviews and testing.
Laptop Mag, a longtime friend to mobile computing news, officially announced its shutdown after 35 years, causing shock waves among the world of tech journalism. The news broke in a July 3, 2025, company-wide meeting, solidifying what many industry insiders had expected: one of the few remaining holdouts to laptop reviews and notebook savvy has closed its virtual doors.
A History of Laptop Leadership
Founded in 1991 as Laptop Buyers Guide and Handbook, the publication soon grew into a go-to guide for technology buffs, students, professionals, and travelers who needed to chart the rapidly evolving realm of portable computing. From comparing laptops head-to-head to testing their speed to in-depth editorials, Laptop Mag established the standards of what made a laptop not only useful but remarkable.
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It weathered the years well, evolving suitably to the modern era. Having made the transition to web-only in 2013 and merging into Future PLC’s media stable in 2018, it kept posting considered reviews and timely industry news with the same rigor and panache longtimers had grown accustomed to.
Why Did It Shut Down?
Future PLC, the British publisher of other tech titans such as Tom’s Guide, PC Gamer, and TechRadar, decided to put Laptop Mag out to pasture as part of an overall portfolio rationalization strategy. Slowing ad dollars, changing reader behavior, and increased competition from YouTube review channels and TikTok tech personalities were all contributing factors making traditional publications increasingly difficult to maintain.
It comes on the heels of another high-profile shutdown: AnandTech, a site equally well-known for its in-depth technical reporting. The days of long-form, expert-led tech reporting appear to be giving way to condensed, punchy, algorithm-friendly content.
What’s Next for Laptop Fans?
Without Laptop Mag, readers might be looking for where to turn for reliable, in-depth laptop reviews and purchase guides. No single source can quite match its combination of editorial expertise and consumer-oriented testing, but a few have some good things going for them:
Tom’s Hardware: Excellent for performance and spec analysis.
The Verge: Top-notch for design-driven reviews with a lifestyle twist.
NotebookCheck: Somewhat technical, but extremely comprehensive.
TechRadar: Balanced, accessible, and review-heavy.
Nevertheless, for consumers who grew up checking Laptop Mag before deciding on their next purchase or upgrade, the vacuum will be difficult to fill.
Closing Thoughts
The technology landscape is ever-changing, and with it, the media that documents it. But even as it dissolves from our RSS subscribers and bookmarks, Laptop Mag’s impact is permanently etched into the wiring of how we consider mobile tech.
