Prepare and visualize data with Microsoft Power BI: Review

It's a trap. You see a course on Microsoft Learn, you think it's part of the free library. But click 'View schedule', and suddenly you're on a partner site looking at a four-figure price tag for a 3-day class. For a Power BI intro? I can get that on YouTube for the cost of my internet connection.

This isn't even a course, it's a syllabus for a paid webinar. There's no 'start' button, no self-paced labs. You're just reading the description of a live training session you have to book. The content itself—connecting to data, basic Power Query, report design—is the absolute beginner stuff covered in a dozen free Learn modules and guided projects. They even list 'exploring how Copilot in Power BI aids the report development process' as a highlight. That feels like a thin layer of 'new' painted over a topic that's been taught for years.

I get the appeal of an instructor for some, but locking such fundamental material behind a massive paywall feels wrong, especially when it's hosted on a platform known for its free resources. I found all the equivalent information just by clicking through the Fabric documentation and following a few video tutorials. It took a bit more self-direction, but it also saved me over a thousand dollars. This is a corporate training product, not a resource for students or self-learners.