# Kim Komando vs. Leo "the tech guy"? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [February 13, 2015, 2:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kim-komando-vs-leo-the-tech-guy/712576 "2015-02-13T14:58:33Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Dibbs](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/da6949/32.png) [@Dibbs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dibbs)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2015, 2:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kim-komando-vs-leo-the-tech-guy/712576/1 "2015-02-13T14:58:33Z")
My grasp of computers and technology in general isn’t to where I’d like it to be. So, sometimes I catch the aforementioned (in the Title box) on the radio and, needless to say, am blown away by how smart and knowledgeable they are, at least compared to me. :o As far as I can tell, both of these fine folks are about equal in terms of their knowledge … although Kim is FAR prettier than Leo.🙂 My question for you brilliant folks is who of these two fine people has it over the other with respect to their knowledge of computers, gadgets and technology in general? And might you give a reason or two as to why you think one knows more? I thank you in advance for taking the time!🙂 ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2015, 5:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kim-komando-vs-leo-the-tech-guy/712576/2 "2015-02-16T05:29:56Z")
I only know of Leo Laporte, and I was okay with him until I saw his anti-adblock stance, which I believe is irresponsible of any computer person. Adblock is pretty much the most important anti-malware defense these days. He even repeated the idea that you only get malware if you go to sketchy sites, something that is totally not true, and disregards how most people use the Internet. You don’t just go to a small number of sites you trust. Plus both Google and Yahoo, huge in the advertizing business, have had their network infiltrated by rogue ads. The entire ad system is broken, because they don’t host the ads and don’t have the source code. And I know why he said it. It’s right there in what he said. It’s because adblock affects his bottom line. But that should not be put in front of the safety of his users. Every good tech person I know says to use adblock, but unblock those sites you trust. While I can’t find Ms. Kommando’s take on adblock, I do at least notice she didn’t jump in when someone asked about where to get Adblock. So, for that alone, I’d go with her. Leo though has been a tech guy for a long time, probably longer than Kim has been alive. ---
**Author:** ![Trinopus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/2bfe46/32.png) [@Trinopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trinopus)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2015, 6:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kim-komando-vs-leo-the-tech-guy/712576/3 "2015-02-16T06:33:43Z")
I hear Leo on KFI in Los Angeles; what southern CA station carries Kim? Also…what is Adblock? Is it an application you install, like Malwarebytes? Is there a free version, or only a version you pay for? (And if so, approximately how much?) I like Leo, because he has Dick DeBartolo as a guest. (Dick was one of the maddest of the old Mad magazine writers…and a funny radio raconteur too.) Leo bugs me, sometimes, because of his emphasis on stripping your system down to the bare disk and re-installing everything. I have a LOT of apps, and it takes me months to get everything re-installed. No way in hades I can do that as ordinary preventive maintenance! For many of my apps, I have to contact the vendor and ask for new authorization codes. For a few, I have to buy upgrades before they’ll let me re-install. Leo is living in a fantasy world if he thinks we can all erase everything and re-install every six months, as he recommends. ---
**Author:** ![Kimballkid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/b5a626/32.png) [@Kimballkid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kimballkid)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2015, 8:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kim-komando-vs-leo-the-tech-guy/712576/4 "2015-02-17T20:06:40Z")
Who? ---
**Author:** ![Kimballkid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/b5a626/32.png) [@Kimballkid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kimballkid)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2015, 8:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kim-komando-vs-leo-the-tech-guy/712576/5 "2015-02-17T20:08:45Z")
> [@Trinopus](#): > > Also…what is Adblock? Is it an application you install, like Malwarebytes? Is there a free version, or only a version you pay for? (And if so, approximately how much?) AdBlock is a Firefox add-on. I don’t know if there is a version for other browsers. ---
**Author:** ![Lamar\_Mundane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/85f322/32.png) [@Lamar\_Mundane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lamar_Mundane)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2015, 9:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kim-komando-vs-leo-the-tech-guy/712576/6 "2015-02-17T21:01:34Z")
> [@Kimballkid](#): > > AdBlock is a Firefox add-on. I don’t know if there is a version for other browsers. Google Chrome has a version (several, actually). You have to get it from the Chrome Web Store, but it’s free. ---
**Author:** ![Dibbs](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/da6949/32.png) [@Dibbs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dibbs)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2015, 2:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kim-komando-vs-leo-the-tech-guy/712576/7 "2015-02-19T14:14:20Z")
Hey All! Read your comments and enjoyed what you had to say so, again, thanks for taking the time!🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Personal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/b9bd4f/32.png) [@Personal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Personal)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2015, 2:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kim-komando-vs-leo-the-tech-guy/712576/8 "2015-02-19T14:42:01Z")
Somewhere around 1999-2000, Leo Laporte hosted a daily tech show that featured computer support on Tech TV (I think) along with a man named Patrick Norton. I think it was called The Screensavers or something. It was a good show, and I watched it often. Leo was good with hardware, networking and peripherals, and he was very good with software support. I lost track of him after he stopped hosting after a year or so, although I did occasionally catch a radio show that he hosted, and he seemed to talk a lot more about useful and cool websites and new products. When Kim Komando’s syndicated show hit my local area in the mid-2000s, she was more gadget and product oriented rather than hardware, although she did some of that and some networking stuff too. When I hear her now it always seems that she’s kept most of that format up. I think the two are relatively equally knowledgeable, although I think Leo’s been in the tech game a lot longer. I don’t know what Leo’s up to now, though, and Kim is on AM radio here every Saturday night I think. ---
**Author:** ![Dibbs](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/da6949/32.png) [@Dibbs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dibbs)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2015, 4:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kim-komando-vs-leo-the-tech-guy/712576/9 "2015-02-19T16:53:59Z")
> [@Personal](#): > > Somewhere around 1999-2000, Leo Laporte hosted a daily tech show that featured computer support on Tech TV (I think) along with a man named Patrick Norton. I think it was called The Screensavers or something. It was a good show, and I watched it often. Leo was good with hardware, networking and peripherals, and he was very good with software support. I lost track of him after he stopped hosting after a year or so, although I did occasionally catch a radio show that he hosted, and he seemed to talk a lot more about useful and cool websites and new products. > > When Kim Komando’s syndicated show hit my local area in the mid-2000s, she was more gadget and product oriented rather than hardware, although she did some of that and some networking stuff too. When I hear her now it always seems that she’s kept most of that format up. > > I think the two are relatively equally knowledgeable, although I think Leo’s been in the tech game a lot longer. I don’t know what Leo’s up to now, though, and Kim is on AM radio here every Saturday night I think. Another very informative post, and I thank you for it.🙂 ---
**Author:** ![BlackKnight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/eb8c5e/32.png) [@BlackKnight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BlackKnight)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2015, 4:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kim-komando-vs-leo-the-tech-guy/712576/10 "2015-02-20T04:01:02Z")
> [@Personal](#): > > I don’t know what Leo’s up to now, though, … Leo Laporte runs the popular TwiT network of technology-related podcasts (or “netcasts”, if you prefer). They can be found at [www.twit.tv](http://www.twit.tv) . He seems to be doing rather well. I don’t listen to as many as I used to (no time these days), but I used to regularly listen to “Security Now” and “This Week in Tech”. The very first episode of “This Week in Tech” was originally titled “Revenge of the Screensavers”, although that name didn’t last long due to legal reasons. ---
**Author:** ![RaftPeople](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/6f9a4e/32.png) [@RaftPeople](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RaftPeople)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2015, 4:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kim-komando-vs-leo-the-tech-guy/712576/11 "2015-02-20T04:30:36Z")
> [@BigT](#): > > He even repeated the idea that you only get malware if you go to sketchy sites,… I don’t know either of these people but anyone that makes that claim has no idea what they are talking about. ---
**Author:** ![Lee\_Q](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/aeb1de/32.png) [@Lee\_Q](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lee_Q)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2015, 9:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kim-komando-vs-leo-the-tech-guy/712576/12 "2015-02-20T21:06:09Z")
I used to listen to Kim regularly and found her engaging and knowledgeable. Also used to consult her website for reviews and recommendations. Haven’t checked it in a while though because last time I was there a lot of the “good” stuff had been moved to a section that is subscription-based. Not sure why but Leo L. always kind of rubbed me the wrong way. Then a few years ago I heard about a bit of a scandal involving him when he accidentally broadcast some hot and heavy texts between him and his female boss. When that came out other people started coming out of the woodwork saying what a jerk he was but I wasn’t interested enough to follow it closely since I never really listened to him regularly anyway. Google “Leo Laporte scandal” and you’ll probably find references to what I mention.