With Claude Series
Platform Updates
What’s changed on the Claude platform since the books were published—and what it means for your reading.
Last updated: October 2026
Why This Page Exists
AI platforms change fast. Every book in the With Claude series was accurate the day it went to print, but Anthropic ships updates to Claude on a near-weekly cadence. Rather than let you wonder which screenshots still match or which menu has moved, this page gives you a running diff: what changed, which chapters are affected, and what to do about it.
Bookmark this page. I update it every time a platform change touches content in any of the books.
The Big Picture: What Changed
Four platform-level changes landed between June and October 2026. Each one affects how at least some of the book content works in practice.
1. Cowork Moved to the Cloud
On October 6, 2026, Anthropic began routing all new Cowork tasks on Pro and Max plans through Anthropic’s cloud servers. The “Only on your computer” toggle in Settings → General has been removed. Existing tasks that were created locally continue to run locally, but new ones execute in the cloud.
This is the single biggest change for book readers. Both Creating with Claude and Writing with Claude taught workflows that relied on local execution: Claude reading files from your Windows or Mac folders, running Desktop Commander, and working directly on your machine. Those workflows now require the Claude desktop app to be open so the cloud session can reach your files through a bridge connection.
2. Chat and Cowork Merged
The Chat/Cowork selector that appeared at the bottom of the message box is gone. Anthropic folded both modes into a single unified experience. If you start a task that needs tools, files, or extended work, Claude handles it automatically—you no longer choose between “Chat” and “Cowork.”
3. New Document Types
Anthropic introduced several new artifact types in beta: Claude Docs, Claude Slides, and Claude Design. These are structured editors that live inside the Claude interface. They don’t replace the workflows in the books, but they add new options that didn’t exist when the books were written.
4. Claude Code as a Local Alternative
Claude Code is Anthropic’s command-line tool that runs entirely on your computer. It gives you the local-first workflow the books describe—direct file access, local execution, no cloud routing—but through a terminal interface rather than the desktop app. If the cloud migration has disrupted your workflow, Claude Code is worth knowing about.
Chapter-by-chapter
What Still Works, What’s Changed
Use the tables below to check any chapter in any book. Each entry tells you whether the content still applies as written.
Creating with Claude
10 chapters · Published July 2026
| Chapter | Status | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Intro | Mostly Accurate | References to the Chat/Cowork selector and the errata page URL are outdated. The selector has been removed. |
| Ch 1: Meet Claude | Mostly Accurate | Desktop app download instructions still work. The emphasis on desktop-app-as-primary-interface is now one option among several. |
| Ch 2: Your First Real Project | Still Accurate | Conversation-based workflow is unchanged. Iterative process still applies. |
| Ch 3: Trust But Verify | Still Accurate | Verification habits are platform-independent. |
| Ch 4: Go Deep | Still Accurate | Advanced prompting techniques are unchanged. |
| Ch 5: Templates & Workflows | Still Accurate | Template concepts remain valid regardless of execution environment. |
| Ch 6: Creative Projects | Still Accurate | Creative workflows are conversation-based and unaffected. |
| Ch 7: Cowork & Projects | Changed / Deprecated | Cowork now runs in the cloud. “Only on your computer” setting removed. Project file access requires desktop app bridge. The chapter’s core workflow still functions but the execution model has changed significantly. |
| Ch 8: Skills & Routines | Needs Context | Skills still work but now execute in the cloud. Custom skills that relied on local file paths may need adjustment. Routines and scheduling concepts still apply. |
| Ch 9: Claude as Teammate | Mostly Accurate | Collaboration concepts are solid. Some references to local project workflows need the cloud-execution context added. |
| Ch 10: What’s Next | Mostly Accurate | Forward-looking content. Some predictions have already arrived (Claude Docs, Design). Claude Code is now a recommended alternative. |
Writing with Claude
16 chapters · Published August 2026
| Chapter | Status | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Ch 1: Setting Up | Needs Context | Desktop app setup still works. Cowork project creation now runs in the cloud. File access instructions need the bridge context. |
| Ch 2: First Draft | Still Accurate | Drafting workflow is conversation-based and unaffected by platform changes. |
| Ch 3: Story Structure | Still Accurate | Structural analysis techniques are platform-independent. |
| Ch 4: Characters | Still Accurate | Character development workflows unchanged. |
| Ch 5: Dialogue | Still Accurate | Dialogue techniques are conversation-based. |
| Ch 6: Revision | Mostly Accurate | Revision workflows still apply. File-based revision steps now go through the cloud bridge rather than direct local access. |
| Ch 7: Cowork for Writers | Changed / Deprecated | This chapter’s entire premise—Cowork Projects pointed at your local manuscript folder—now works differently. The cloud session accesses your files through a bridge while the desktop app is open. Core concepts remain valid but the mechanics have changed. |
| Ch 8: Research | Still Accurate | Research techniques are conversation-based and unaffected. |
| Ch 9: World-Building | Still Accurate | World-building workflows unchanged. |
| Ch 10: Series Bible | Mostly Accurate | Bible-building concepts still apply. File management instructions need cloud context. |
| Ch 11: Desktop Commander | Changed / Deprecated | Desktop Commander was an MCP server that ran locally. With cloud execution, its role has changed. It still works for tasks bridged to your computer, but the “always local” assumption no longer holds. Claude Code is the recommended alternative for local-first workflows. |
| Ch 12: Formatting | Mostly Accurate | Formatting techniques still apply. File output paths may differ in cloud execution. |
| Ch 13: Publishing Prep | Still Accurate | Publishing preparation advice is platform-independent. |
| Ch 14: Marketing | Still Accurate | Marketing strategies are unaffected by execution environment. |
| Ch 15: Skills for Writers | Needs Context | Skills still work but now execute in the cloud. Custom skills that reference local paths or local MCP servers may need adjustment. |
| Ch 16: The Writing Life | Still Accurate | Philosophy and workflow habits are timeless. |
Your First Hour with Claude
Teaser booklet · Published July 2026
| Section | Status | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Setup & Install | Mostly Accurate | Desktop app download still works. The interface has been simplified since publication. |
| First Conversation | Still Accurate | Basic conversation workflow unchanged. |
| First Project | Still Accurate | Project walkthrough still works as written. |
Your First Chapter with Claude
Teaser booklet · Published August 2026
| Section | Status | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Setup for Writers | Mostly Accurate | Setup instructions work. Cowork project creation now routes to the cloud. |
| First Draft Session | Still Accurate | Drafting workflow is conversation-based and unaffected. |
| File Management | Needs Context | Local file management instructions assume direct access. Now works through the cloud bridge while the desktop app is open. |
Next steps
What to Do
Keep the Desktop App Open
Cloud-based Cowork sessions can still reach your local files—but only while the Claude desktop app is running on your computer. If you’re following along with a chapter that reads or writes files, make sure the app is open.
Ignore the Missing Selector
When a book says “switch to Cowork” or “select Chat,” skip that step. The modes have merged. Just type your message and Claude figures out the rest.
Try Claude Code
If you want the local-first workflow the books describe—direct file access, local execution, no cloud routing—Claude Code runs entirely on your machine. It’s a terminal tool, not a GUI, but it’s the closest thing to how the books were written.
Check Back Here
This page is updated every time a platform change touches content in any of the books. Bookmark it, or look for the link in the front matter of your book.
History