Should I put my laptop on a flat surface?

Tips to take care of your laptop:

Laptop cleanliness:
-Keep liquids away from your computer: Liquids can damage or short internal components, corrupt data and make keys stick or not function.
-Keep food away from your computer: Crumbs can damage the keys preventing them from depressing totally, invite small bugs, damage circuitry and make the laptop look dirty.
-Have clean hands: Dirt and oils from your fingers and wrists can eat away from the protective finish on the laptop, keyboard and track pad.
-Use an old clean toothbrush to clean parts of your computer: Cleaning around the keys on the keyboard, exhaust fans and around the bezel of the screen will help promote airflow and reduce heat buildup inside the laptop.

LCD Monitor:
-Prevent damage to the monitor: Make sure there are no obstructions (paper clips, pens or pencils, cats, motorcycles, etc.) on your keyboard when you are shutting the lid. Items like these can dent, scratch or even crack the screen.
-Close the lid properly: Close the lid gently and hold from the middle of the screen. Closing the lid using only one edge causes extra pressure on the hinges which over time will crack and break them.
-Hold your laptop by the base: Lifting and holding the laptop by the display creates unneeded pressure on the hinges. This action may direct pressure to the LCD and deform or crack the screen itself.
-Be aware of what you put on top of the laptop: Placing heavy items on the laptop (open or close) can cause serious damage to the LCD, hinges and chassis. Placing heavy items on your laptop can also squish the optical drive (CD-ROM) and if there is a disk in the drive, shatter that too.

Transport:
-Do not expose your laptop to rapid temperature changes: Large temperature fluctuations can cause major damage to your laptop. The metal platters inside the hard disk can expand and contract rapidly. If the metal platters are being accessed at the time, they may even crack causing partial, if not total, data loss. The temperature change can also form condensation within the laptop and short internal components.
-Do not leave your laptop in your car: Leaving your laptop in the car will expose it too severe tempertures and possibly further damage. Even in a laptop bag, leaving a laptop in the car is an inviting target to a thief.
-Use a laptop bag: Laptop bags reduce the chance of accidental drops or bumps to the laptop. If using another bag like a book bag, consider a laptop sleeve. A sleeve is not as protective as a bag but it will reduce damage and scratches too.
-Use a laptop bag that fits: Make sure your bag is large enough to fit your laptop but still remain snug. A properly fitted bag will help prevent damage to your laptop during transport and is a good place to store the power adapter and other laptop accessories.

Power:
-Do not pull on the power cord: Pulling on the power cord can damage the cord, socket, and plug. Instead, grab the actual plug and disconnect from the wall socket.
-Do not roll over the power cord with your chair: Rolling over the power cord with your chair can lead to a short and further damage to the power cord,  power supply and laptop.
-Power Conservation: If not using your laptop for more than two hours, shut it down. The power consumption of the laptop within those two hours is far greater than that required to power on the laptop.
-Battery Maintenance: Leaving a laptop plugged in after the battery is fully charged will reduce the overall lifetime of the battery.

Whether you're at the office or you're bringing your work home with you, your laptop could end up being an enemy just as much as it is your friend -- if not more so. And whatever your reasons are for putting your laptop on the floor instead of, say, a desk, doing so does create a risk of overheating.

Carpet

1. Perhaps one of the greatest misnomers, the term "laptop" suggests that the most fitting place for your laptop computer is on your lap -- but it isn't. For one thing, clothing is an insulator, keeping heat near the laptop instead of conducting heat away from it. Also, your lap is not an even surface on which your laptop can sit, increasing the risk of smothering vents and fans, thus increasing the laptop's inner heat. So a carpeted floor, while flat, acts essentially the way clothing does by insulating around the laptop and preventing heat from escaping -- which can cause overheating.

Wood

1. A wood floor, though -- or any other flat, non-carpeted, hard-surfaced floor -- is a definite improvement over placing your laptop on a carpet or rug. Still, it's not the best. On the plus side, it's a flat surface without any clothing-like insulating material, allowing heat to flow more freely away from the laptop. On the negative side, however, the floor is generally dusty, since it's typically cleaned less often than your desk or a table, or at least gathers more dirt and dust because of foot traffic. And dust is something else than can block vents on your laptop, thus trapping heat and increasing the chances for overheating.

Consequences

1. There are numerous reported instances showing how leaving a laptop on the floor can cause overheating -- even to the point of starting a fire. In 2007, a laptop left on the floor at Los Angeles' LAX airport caught fire after sitting for an unknown time on the carpeted floor. And in 2011, a laptop left on the floor at a home in Missouri overheated because of blocked fans and vents, and eventually ignited a fire that led to the home burning down. Additionally, a home burned in Massachusetts because someone left a laptop, which overheated, on a cardboard box full of clothes.

Tips

1. While putting your laptop on a carpeted or hard-surfaced floor for just a few minutes probably won't lead to the building catching on fire, it's best to avoid doing so for any length of time. Overheating can decrease your laptop's performance and cause internal damage. To avoid overheating, then, keep your laptop on a hard surface, away from the floor, such as on a desk or tray. Also, regularly clean your laptop's vents of any dust, which you can do with a can of air spray.

Is this necessary or can I just place it flat on the table? from laptops

Laptop computers, sometimes called notebook computers, got their name because they are so small and lightweight that they can be used while balanced on the owner’s lap. Many people use their notebook computers most while they are comfortably seated on the couch. That’s fine for short periods, but a laptop computer will give better service and have a longer life if it is used with more care.

Laptop computers should be placed in an area with good air circulation. Overheating is a real problem for such small computers, and it can cause serious short term and long term damage. Be sure none of the air vents are blocked. Vents are usually located on the sides and back of the unit, but some models have air vents on the bottom as well. These units function best if they are placed on a raised, slatted surface so that air can reach the vents. Clean the vents monthly with a small vacuum for optimal performance. Dust impedes the flow of air and leads to overheating.

Never store a laptop when it is in suspended or sleeping mode; make sure it is turned off completely. Be especially careful about this if you use a foam screen protector, because they retain heat. Don’t place the laptop in direct sunlight. A table directly over a furnace duct is also a poor choice. A hot environment can easily cause a notebook computer to overheat. Make sure to store notebook computers at room temperature. If your laptop is accidentally exposed to extremely hot or cold temperatures, give it plenty of time to return to room temperature before starting it.

A laptop should sit on a stable surface. Even small bumps and short drops can damage a computer. Dropping items onto a closed laptop can also cause damage. If you tend to drop your mail on a table when coming into the room, place your laptop somewhere else. Don’t place any computer near an appliance that generates an electrical field. Avoid magnetic fields as well. Exposure can cause data loss.

Position the laptop so that the power cord is not kinked or twisted in any way. Don’t let anything sit on top of the power cord. Keep it out of the room’s traffic pattern, because tripping over a power cord can easily jerk a laptop off the table. Be sure the AC adapter in the power cord gets good air circulation, because it can overheat. When storing the cord, it’s best to gather it into accordion-like folds and hold it in place with a Velcro wrap. Position the laptop so that the screen will not get bumped or poked with objects. These screens are made of plastic over liquid crystals, and they are quite fragile. Don’t touch the screen with fingers, pencils, or pens. Only use a laptop in a clean, dry environment. Any moisture can damage the computer. Keep drinks away from the laptop, and don’t use water to clean it, either.

Laptops are sturdy computers, but they will perform even better with careful placement and handling.

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