Publisher and Internet company Ziff Davis just acquired monthly consumer computer magazine Computer Shopper. This is the fifth acquisition for Ziff Davis since early last year, a company once known for high-end hobby magazines, until it evolved into more of an internet information firm, managing sites including PCMag.com, ExtremeTech.com, Geek.com, Toolbox.com and LogicBuy.com.
Computer Shopper was founded in 1979, and was once a bible-thick tome of computer wares geared toward technology enthusiasts. It was originally bought by Ziff Davis in 1993, but then sold a decade later to CNET. After a few more switchings of hands, Ziff Davis again owns its evolved iteration, ComputerShopper.com.
Interestingly, Ziff Davis was founded in 1927 in Chicago by William B. Ziff, Sr. and Bernard G. Davis. The company began to shift a focus on tech in 1980, but eventually filed for Chapter 11 protection in 2008, which prompted a court-supervised restructuring in 2009. Eventually in 2010, former Time Magazine executive Vivek Shah, backed by Boston private equity firm Great Hill Partners, stepped in to acquire of Ziff Davis Inc., calling it the “first step in building a new digital media company that specializes in producing and distributing content for consumers making important buying decisions.”
