How important is it to run OpenClaw on a dedicated machine

Not required, but recommended for reliability and isolation.
Dedicated host (VPS/Mac mini/Pi): always‑on, fewer sleep/reboot interruptions, cleaner permissions, easier to keep running.
Shared laptop/desktop: totally fine for testing and active use, but expect pauses when the machine sleeps or updates.
If you want the best of both worlds, keep the Gateway on a dedicated host and pair your laptop as a node for local screen/camera/exec tools. See Nodes. For security guidance, read Security.