From the desk
Notes & analysis
Shorter pieces: how our testing holds up over months, pricing changes worth knowing about, and things we noticed that don't fit a review.
Latest notes
new notes weeklyGetting GitHub Copilot Pro for free
The free tier is not the only $0 option: verified students, teachers, and open-source maintainers get the full Pro plan. How to check eligibility and claim it.
22 October 2026 ExplainerWhen open source actually matters
Four conditions under which open weights genuinely change the decision — and the cases where it is a preference dressed up as a requirement.
22 October 2026 ExplainerContext windows, explained without the headline numbers
What the window actually does, why a bigger one is not automatically better, and the two questions that decide whether it matters for your work.
22 October 2026 MethodThe $20 rule
One $20 subscription is the baseline. A second needs a job. A third needs a reason that survives being written down — and most do not.
22 October 2026 MethodWhy AI tool prices move
The three-stage arc every tool follows: a generous launch, a quiet tightening, then the restructure. What it means for the subscription you are about to commit to.
22 October 2026 MethodHow we test AI tools
The fixed prompt set, why one run proves nothing, and the vendor claims we refuse to repeat. If a review here says something, this is how it was checked.
22 October 2026