macOS Sequoia is available today

Original Article ↗ Hacker News Discussion ↗

Window tiling & window management

  • Many welcome native window snapping/tiling, saying it finally addresses a long‑standing gap versus Windows.
  • Several compare it to third‑party tools (Rectangle, Magnet, Moom, Swish, BetterTouchTool, Divvy, Raycast, aerospace), with some planning to drop third‑party apps, others sticking with them due to better features (third/ two‑third layouts, rich keyboard shortcuts, grids).
  • Some report difficulty discovering or configuring keyboard shortcuts; a workaround via generic “App Shortcuts” exists but is clunky and incomplete.
  • Minor annoyances: default margins around tiled windows (can be disabled), top drag not truly full‑screen by default, and tiling requiring drag instead of purely keyboard-driven control.

iPhone Mirroring & Continuity

  • Strong initial enthusiasm: people like being able to interact with iPhone apps on Mac, handle notifications, and avoid picking up the phone.
  • Limitations: requires same Apple ID on Mac and iPhone, doesn’t support multi‑user/dev use cases; no iPad mirroring; multitouch gestures are emulated via trackpad/keyboard with some UX compromises.
  • Some users find latency “surprisingly slow”; others say Apple’s mirroring is usually fine and suggest network issues, leading to back‑and‑forth over acceptable lag.
  • In the EU, iPhone Mirroring (and some related features) is not available; many attribute this to Apple’s reading of DMA interoperability rules, with debate over whether the limitation is technical, strategic, or punitive.

Apple Intelligence & on‑device vs cloud AI

  • Apple Intelligence is heavily marketed but not fully available yet; features land in 15.1 / 18.1 and later.
  • Some suspect constraints on 8 GB RAM devices and expect much work to be offloaded to “Private Cloud Compute.”
  • Users discuss whether cloud calls can be fully disabled. Beta builds allow turning Apple Intelligence off entirely, but not keeping local features while disabling cloud.
  • A few say AI features are the only reason to upgrade hardware; others see AI hype as overblown compared to cameras, display, or battery improvements.
  • There is broader skepticism that LLMs can meet “Apple‑level” reliability, especially around refusing to answer instead of hallucinating.

Security, permissions & lockdown

  • Screen recording permissions now re‑prompt monthly; many find this disruptive, especially for screenshot tools and screen‑overlay apps. Remote‑access apps need special entitlements, which may hinder open‑source tools.
  • Ctrl‑click “Open” to bypass Gatekeeper for unsigned apps is gone; users must first attempt to launch, then approve in Settings. This is widely seen as a step toward iOS‑style lock‑down, though some argue it protects non‑technical users from social‑engineering malware.
  • Debate centers on Apple’s growing control over what binaries can run versus user freedom and developer convenience, with several worrying about a slow move toward App‑Store‑only distribution.

Developer tools, CLI & bugs

  • Positive notes: jq is now included in /usr/bin (version 1.6 + patches), appreciated for scripting; MacPorts migration is reported smoother than in the past.
  • Some devs report breakage or friction: Xcode versions mismatching Sequoia; Quick Look plugin APIs changing; dtrace/strace‑style tracing still awkward; various regressions (EXFAT issues, Bluetooth quality mode, kernel panics) carried over or unfixed.

Ecosystem reactions & alternatives

  • A number of commenters delay macOS upgrades by months, citing Apple’s history of early bugs and security fixes in .1/.2 releases.
  • Some feel macOS is becoming more iOS‑like and less “personal computer”–friendly, and say the direction pushes them toward Linux (Asahi, Ubuntu, Fedora, Debian) or Windows for more control, at the cost of UX polish and trackpad quality.
  • Others argue macOS remains the “least bad” desktop OS, with high hardware quality and strong privacy protections (especially Safari), even as both Apple and Microsoft are accused of “enshittification.”