Three Paths: Choose Your Adventure

Option 1: Claude Desktop (Visual App)

• Visual app on your Mac/Windows/Linux

• Familiar chat interface with coding superpowers

• Current status: Check the Desktop app release notes for Claude Code availability

• Best for: People who want a visual interface without learning Terminal

• Bonus: Can run multiple coding sessions in parallel

Option 2: Claude CLI (What This Doc Covers)

• Terminal-based (that “hacker screen” thing—don’t worry, it’s friendlier than it looks)

• Type claude and get a conversational coding agent

• Current status: Live; access depends on your plan

• Best for: Anyone willing to learn basic terminal use

• Key advantage: Your code lives on YOUR computer, not in the cloud

Option 3: Continue Using claude.ai

• Web interface you know

• Good for chat, artifacts, general use

• Privacy tip: Review data privacy controls at claude.ai/settings/data-privacy-controls

• Trade-off: Artifacts are in the cloud (but you can export)

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