1. Chat, Cowork, Code: which for what
These are three entry points into the same Claude, to pick based on what you want to do:
- Chat (web, mobile, app) — conversation. To think, write, analyze a document, prepare a strategy. 90% of people start here and stay, and that's perfectly fine.
- Cowork — an assistant that executes office work end to end, autonomously, for someone who doesn't code. It can handle files, a spreadsheet, a presentation, browse the web for you. The step between "discuss" and "delegate."
- Code — the agent that gets its hands dirty: it reads and edits your files, runs commands, manages a code repository, deploys a site. That's what I use to run Cobra and publish this site. Not reserved for devs: it's just the "it acts, it doesn't just respond" level.
- What it's for
- Think, write, analyze, decide.
- An example
- Prepare a strategy, summarize a PDF.
- Who it's for
- Everyone — the starting point.
- What it's for
- Hand off office work autonomously.
- An example
- Build a doc, dig through files, a spreadsheet.
- Who it's for
- Non-developers who want to delegate.
- What it's for
- Edit files, run commands, deploy.
- An example
- Run an ERP, publish a site.
- Who it's for
- Anyone who wants it to act, devs or not.
2. What "the terminal" actually is, and why it shouldn't stop you
The terminal is just a window where you type commands instead of clicking buttons. It has a "hacker movie" vibe that intimidates, but it's an interface like any other.
And most importantly: you don't need to master it. The strategy is dead simple — you copy, you paste, you confirm. If a command fails, you paste the error into Claude and it tells you what to do. You learn as you go, no prior course needed.
3. Installing Claude Code, the easy way
No need to install anything else first: one command to paste in the terminal.
On Mac (or Linux) — open Terminal, paste, hit Enter:
curl -fsSL https://claude.ai/install.sh | bash
On Windows — open PowerShell, paste, hit Enter:
irm https://claude.ai/install.ps1 | iex
Then verify and launch:
claude --version claude
On first launch, it opens your browser to sign in to your Claude account (a paid subscription is required, like Pro or Max). And if the terminal really puts you off: there's a Desktop app (Mac/Windows) that runs Claude Code with no terminal at all.
Official details: code.claude.com/docs/en/setup.
4. Why a decent computer helps
First, let's debunk: all the computation happens on Anthropic's servers, not your machine. You do not need a gamer GPU or a beast of a machine — your computer is just sending and receiving text.
A good machine helps elsewhere: comfort (running several things in parallel without grinding to a halt), and especially, if you want to go further, a machine that stays on 24/7 to host your automations. That's typically my case: a small Mac that runs non-stop and executes my tasks even while I'm asleep.
No GPU needed