Created in 1998 as a joint venture between International Data Group and Ziff-Davis, publishers of the two largest magazines focused on the Apple Macintosh at the time. Ziff-Davis's MacUser was folded into Macworld, creating a new magazine, Macworld, incorporating MacUser.

The company also took ownership of MacWEEK, which it transformed into an online entity, and MacCentral Online, which it also rolled into its Macworld online presence.

The company is now a wholly-owned subsidiary of International Data Group.