Getting Started with Microsoft Power BI Desktop

Microsoft Power BI is offered by any number of online learning platforms. Most of these courses are designed by industry experts and are valued in the job market.

Yet, our choice for the best online course to learn and master this tool is definitely this extremely well-crafted Power BI course from SimplivLearning. The reason we say this is that it is:

-      Hands-on, meaning your learning is most effective

-      Curated by a highly experienced Microsoft-Certified Power BI professional

-      Is real fun and engaging to learn

-      Offers a globally valid certificate of learning.

Definitely yes! You can take Power BI online course from SimplivLearning.

While it is true that the ease or difficulty level of any learning is subjective and personal; the verdict about the difficulty level of Microsoft Power BI is almost totally unanimous, which is that it is easy to learn, especially for those who are familiar with MS Excel.

Well, nothing prevents anyone from learning Microsoft Power BI for free, but be informed that free learning is not likely to offer much knowledge apart from the basics. If that is all you are looking for, you can go ahead with free learning.

We would put our vote the best course for Power BI on this comprehensive Microsoft Power BI bootcamp. Why? Because it takes you right into the heart of Power BI: its very ecosystem. Having got there, you will explore everything about this tool.

It will teach you the ways of identifying problems and developing solutions for them. You will be able to solve complicated business problems. You will also get an idea of how to use a variety of charts, graphs, maps and gauges to visualize the data in your report. In other words, you will learn everything that you would want to about Microsoft Power BI. 

The cost of a Power BI course could stretch from a few dozen to a few hundred dollars. The width in the price can be attributed to the depth and expanse of the learning the course offers.

There is no fixed duration that will help a learner master Power BI. The learning could vary, depending on factors such as the range and syllabus, the interest level of the learner, the duration of time that the learner can dedicate, the need for learning, and so on.

On average, one can say that four to six weeks of learning should give you a good understanding of Power BI and some ease of using it.

Whenever a learner embarks on informal, self-guided learning, the most important aspect of it is proper planning, the other side of this coin being discipline.

Goalsetting is very important, because it helps you stay on track. On top of this, enrolling for a Power BI course can work wonders. Yes, a combination of these factors can definitely help you learn Power BI at home.

If you take the steps mentioned in the previous FAQ, it is not difficult to learn.

Microsoft itself offers a certification in Power BI: The “Microsoft Certified: Power BI Data Analyst Associate”. This is the most widely accepted certification for Microsoft Power BI.

These are the highlights of this certification exam:

-      It is of 90 minutes’ duration

-      It is offered in multiple languages

-      Costs $ 165.

You can earn the Microsoft Certified: Power BI Data Analyst Associate by visiting the Microsoft support page. To take up this exam, you must have passed the Exam PL-300: Microsoft Power BI Data Analyst certification.

A Microsoft Power BI certification is worth the effort needed to obtain it when you consider these benefits of a certification:

-      It will open up the avenues to working in niche technical areas, such as AI, Big Data, data analysis, data visualization, business reporting, and related ones

-      A certified professional’s resume stands out in the job portals

-      She is a favored employee with organizations around the world

-      A Power BI certification is a very lucrative proposition as far as ROI on it is concerned

-      It offers jobs in the global market with pay packages that start at $ 65,000 and go up to $ 119,000 for a Power BI data scientist.

You can look for online learning platforms that offer these certifications free. Check out on the course syllabus and other aspects of the course and then take a call on whether the learning offered is of value to you.

You can choose to study for the Microsoft certification in Power BI: The “Microsoft Certified: Power BI Data Analyst Associate” and take up the exam by following the steps prescribed in the Microsoft support page.

You can use Microsoft Power BI on your desktop after installing as an app from the Microsoft Store. This can be done easily by following these simple steps:

-      On any browser, go to the Microsoft Store. From here, visit the Power BI Desktop page

-      Go to the Power BI service section; from there, in the upper right corner, select the Download icon. Choose Power BI Desktop

-      Go to the Power BI Desktop product page, and, from there, select Download Free.

You are done with these easy steps. For more on this, visit the Microsoft Learn page.

Being based on Microsoft Excel, Power BI is quite easy to learn, even for beginners, especially for those who have some familiarity with Excel. However, don’t worry if you are not familiar with Excel. You can still pick it up easily, since the tool is very interactive.

In terms of the power of calculation, i.e., computing, there is not much to choose between MS Excel and Power BI. The tables in Excel are very versatile and useful.

Where Power BI scores over Excel is in its visual appeal. Being an essential data visualization tool, it is a lot more intuitive and attractive to use. It also uses Big Data in a more optimal manner. Its charts and graphs give greater insight into data.

Another major weakness of MS Excel is the near lack of collaborative effort it facilitates. This said, Excel is not without other strengths. It scores over Power BI in the range of its functions, something you cannot count in Power BI, which is suited for specific roles.

As we can see, the two tools bring their own advantages and shortcomings. Which of the two is better is best decided by what uses the user wants to put them to.

Power BI Desktop is free to download and use.

However, for the higher needs of individuals and organizations, it is available for a per user fee range of $ 10 and $ 20 a month.

For very large organizations with users that number a few thousand, Microsoft offers licensing options that start at $ 4995.

Yes. It is considered easy for most levels of learners.

You can. With lots of self practice and goal setting exercises, it is possible to learn Power BI on your own. Learn to create your own projects, as this is the surest way of mastering the tool.

If you mean a level of knowledge needed to run the program at an elementary, day-to-day level, a few weeks of learning should do. For those who want to become Power BI professionals, the learning curve is obviously longer, and may have to be re-learnt from time to time.

Yes, for basic level individual use. Higher users are required to pay.

Although presented as two different services, there are major areas in which the two work with each other.

Power BI Desktop

-      The complete report authoring tool for those who use reports for gaining business insights

-      To be downloaded and installed on a local computer as a free application

-      The most important feature of Power BI Desktop is that it enables connection to different types of data sources, from which data is culled and then transformed into a data model

-      The report creation process is completed with the addition of visuals that are made to suit and complement the data model.

Power BI

-      This is cloud-based, which means it allows users to view the reports and interact with them

-      Power BI creates reports, which are then published by Power BI Desktop. Power BI enables users to edit these reports and prepare visuals that are in tune with the existing data model and to share these and collaborate with co-workers.

Being a business analysis and data visualization tool, Power BI Desktop is considered the leading brand in its class. It certainly can be considered good and useful, when you consider that businesses of almost all types, sizes, and geographies use it for getting critical business insights artfully and quickly.

When it comes to the ways of using, MS Excel is the easier of the two tools, the simple reason being that it comes with fewer features.

Power BI Desktop is free for those who want to create simple business reports for their individual use. This model is not suited for organizations, since, irrespective of their size and scale, they will most likely need to collaborate across teams to use data and develop reports out of them. For users who put Power BI Desktop to such complex uses, it is available for a license fee.

Microsoft Power is a versatile platform that consists of a bag of Microsoft tools and apps. By visiting the Microsoft downloads page, you can install any of its downloadable tools for either mobile or desktops.

Yes

Organizations the world over have been using the Microsoft Power platform for implementing data-driven business solutions. Most of them have consistently shown a reduction in the cost and time needed for building apps, critical Data Analytics, workflows, AI bots, and more.

Considering that most organizations that use the Microsoft Power platform have derived enormous benefits out of it, yes, it certainly is worth it.