Where Claude lives
One Anthropic account opens several entry points:
- claude.ai — the web chat, the main interface. This is also home to Projects, Artifacts, file uploads, web search.
- Desktop app (Windows/Mac) — the same functionality plus integration with local files and MCP servers on your machine.
- Mobile app — a chat in your pocket, voice input, photos of documents straight into the conversation.
- Claude Code — a terminal agent for working with files, code, and automation. The pro modules of the course are built around it.
- API — access for scripts and your own programs, pay per token.
Chat history syncs across the web, desktop, and mobile versions.
The model family
Inside a subscription you switch between models of different classes. The logic for choosing:
- Larger models (Opus and up) — complex reasoning, long documents, serious code, "think it through properly" tasks. Slower, limits burn faster.
- Mid-range models (Sonnet) — the workhorse: quality close to the larger ones on most tasks, noticeably higher speed. A reasonable default.
- Smaller models (Haiku) — instant answers to simple questions, high-volume operations via the API.
Rule: start with the mid-range model; if the answer falls short, repeat the request on the larger one. Paying with time and limits for the larger model on a "how is this word spelled" question makes no sense.
Key interface features
- Files. PDFs, spreadsheets, images, code — drag into the chat, ask your question. Claude reads documents in full, including screenshots and photos.
- Web search. For time-sensitive questions Claude searches the internet and answers with links to sources.
- Artifacts. A separate panel where Claude creates documents, code, interactive pages, and diagrams — edited iteratively, not lost in the chat feed. We'll cover this in detail in a pro module.
- Projects. Persistent workspaces with their own knowledge base and instructions. Also in a pro module.
- Data analysis. Claude writes and runs code to process uploaded data — it counts honestly rather than "estimating" (remember the lesson on hallucinations and arithmetic).
Voice mode and photo input in the mobile app are badly underrated: dictating a task on the go and photographing a document instead of retyping it are the fastest ways to "feed in" context.
Plans
- Free — mid-range models, a tight message limit. Enough to get acquainted and handle occasional tasks.
- Pro (~$20/mo) — larger models, Projects, limits several times higher. The entry point for regular work; enough for moderate use of Claude Code too.
- Max (~$100–200/mo) — limits for intensive daily work, priority during peak hours. Justified when Claude Code becomes your main working tool.
- API — separate pay per token, independent of the subscription. You'll need it in the automation module.
Subscription limits are rolling: use up your quota and you wait for the next window to start (a few hours). This matters for planning your work: it's better not to leave heavy tasks for the end of a quota.
Key takeaways
- Entry points: web, desktop, mobile, Claude Code, API — history syncs.
- Model choice: mid-range by default, larger for complex tasks, smaller for high-volume.
- Interface strengths: files, search, Artifacts, Projects, honest data analysis via code.
- Pro is the entry point for regular work, Max is for living in Claude Code, the API is for scripts.