If you plan to use the computer within the day then yes, absolutely leaving it on is best. Does this apply to laptops as well? Yes, typically if you have it plugged in to AC power then leaving it on and 'online' will allow the computer to maintain itself with regards to automatic windows updates, antivirus definition updates as well as disk maintenance like defragmentation of the hard drive.
With laptop computers quite often the power management is set to go to sleep when you close the lid. You can go in to the power management, easiest way is to click on the start menu and type power and from the search result, choose power options and check the settings, noting that you should also check the ADVANCED power options for such things like "what happens when you close the lid" as this has multiple options for when the computer is running on battery or plugged in to AC Power.
Now the long version:
The thing about leaving a computer on all the time is the fact that it emits an incredible amount of heat. Therefore in the Summer months people seem extra concerned about the amount of heat coming in to the room where they are attempting to stay cool. Although this is more accurate while you use the computer, it is common to feel the heat pouring out from the side of your unit so making sure it has the proper air flow is important. With a laptop you should be using a coolpad. This will provide added air circulation underneath the device which is where the air intake is. Some cool pads have fans built in that allow you to plug in to one of the computers USB outlets for additional cooling. Note this is something I would only use if I was actively using my computer however. You can also choose to leave your laptop lid open as it will allow ventilation through the keys on most however leaving the lid open means the monitor will be on for the length of time you have it set for. I typically set this to 10 minutes when plugged in and 1 minute when on battery. When it comes to the proper ventilation on a desktop, you should be making sure you have vacuumed the dust bunnies from the air intake and exhaust. NO NEED TO OPEN THE CASE and you can vacuum without shutting down. In fact this is preferred so that the fans will continue to blow out the dust as you vacuum. If you have access to compressed air then a few squirts through the fan while you are using the vacuum will also help.
The thing about a computer is that it has fans to keep it at a comfortable operating temperature and much like a lightbulb, the constant heating and cooling of that filament is what causes the light bulb to burn out. The constant booting of a cold computer and shutting it down when it has been used, is actually harder on it. The ceramic motherboard and the components being heated up from being off may also result in bad solder joints coming loose. Not just the heating issues of the components, but the power surge that happens when you turn it on and the initial boot up time on the hard drive. Shutting it down, unless the fan is set to stay on until the system reaches an allowable temperature, the system will actually heat up more before cooling down, noting that the CPU can reach temps above 60 degrees Celsius! It is true, when you leave a computer on the power supply and CPU fans are typically the first to go, but this shouldn't be for at least 3 to 4 years of constant use
A theory I like to use is Windows versus Mac systems and how they work. A Macbook for example, will always go to sleep when you close the lid. Although there are settings you can change in the case you are using the device plugged in to an external monitor, this is completely the norm. Whereas with a Windows machine you can quite easily have it set to stay on. The biggest maintenance problem I see on Apple computers is always the hard drive. Quite typical when you consider how often it is being put to sleep and powered back up (think of that light bulb theory). On a Windows machine it is typically the power supply as the fan will start squealing, indicating the bearings are shot, and/or the power supply fan quits completely, overheating the unit within minutes and having the system shut down as a result.
Finally, the main reason you may want to be leaving your computer on (and online) is for the simple fact that your data is being backed up. A long work day on your computer, saving a few hundred files to your hard drive and simply walking away from it while you know all of your data is safe and secure because it is constantly being backed up to your offsite account....that is, if you have one!
When it comes to maintenance of your computer, there are a few software programs and services that are worth paying for. The old days of paying an annual subscription to antivirus is a thing of the past since you can (and should) be using something like Avast (free) antivirus but when it comes to file security and safety, you should be paying for this.. and thankfully for companies like BackBlaze that provides an unlimited amount of data backup for $50 per year is well worth it! So long as your computer is online, your data is being backed up, typically moments after you save the document it is being uploaded to your safe deposit box in the sky!The last thing you want is to turn on your computer in the morning to start your work day only to find there are 30 windows updates that need to be installed (and will typically start downloading in the background automatically), as well as your antivirus busy getting itself updated to the latest set of virus definitions as soon as it detected the internet connection. To find your system chugging along at a snails pace as a result. This most likely wouldn't be a problem if/when you leave your computer on and online!
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