Apple announces Foundation Models and Containerization frameworks, etc

Original Article ↗ Hacker News Discussion ↗

Apple Intelligence & Foundation Models

  • Framework exposes Apple’s on-device language model via a simple “prompt in, text out” API, not tied to SwiftUI or any UI framework.
  • Some confusion over Apple’s terminology: “Foundation Models” refers both to the models and to a new framework; docs emphasize a single on-device LLM with optional task-specific adapters.
  • People ask what exact models are used and how capable they are; links to prior Apple research suggest homegrown models, but details and tokenization behavior are still unclear.

On-Device AI: Scope, Devices, and Privacy

  • Many welcome on-device inference to shrink app bundles and avoid calling external APIs for small tasks.
  • A major concern is that Apple’s on-device models only run on the newest devices (iPhone 16 and 15 Pro), covering a minority of the installed base; developers question whether it’s worth integrating now.
  • Some users strongly dislike having generative AI components on their machines at all; others point out Apple Intelligence is opt‑in and can be disabled (removing its data from disk).
  • “Privacy-preserving” is widely interpreted as “private from Apple,” not from the app using the API.

Xcode, Vibe Coding, and Dev Experience

  • Xcode gains deeper AI integration (ChatGPT and Apple models) for code generation and refactoring, with context awareness and change tracking.
  • Reactions split: some see it as welcome catch‑up to VS Code/Cursor; others are uneasy about “vibe coding” displacing the craft of manual coding.
  • Past Xcode AI features were seen as rudimentary; expectations are cautious for how well this new iteration will work in practice.

Containerization on macOS

  • The new Containerization framework and container CLI provide Linux containers via lightweight VMs built on Apple’s Hypervisor framework, not kernel-level “native” containers.
  • Each container runs in its own small VM with a custom Swift-based init (vminitd); Rosetta can run x86 container userlands on an ARM Linux kernel.
  • Many view this as “Sherlocking” tools like OrbStack, Colima, Podman Desktop, etc., but still an ergonomic win because it’s first‑party and open source.
  • Debate over whether per-container VMs are overkill or a reasonable security/performance tradeoff versus today’s Docker-on-VM setups.

macOS, iPadOS, and Platform Strategy

  • Strong sense that iPadOS and macOS are converging in capabilities (windowing, M‑series hardware), but that a full OS merge is unlikely due to App Store control and sandboxing.
  • iPad is seen as nearly “MacBook with touch” for many non‑developer, non‑3D, non‑video users, yet still hamstrung by background task limits, lack of side‑loading, and missing tools (shell, Xcode).
  • Multi‑user support on iPad is repeatedly requested for home use; current MDM‑only multi‑user is seen as artificially constrained.

Liquid Glass UI and Core UX Concerns

  • Liquid Glass evokes Aqua/Vista Aero/Frutiger Aero-era design; reactions range from nostalgic excitement to strong dislike.
  • Multiple comments worry about low contrast and legibility; many expect to rely on accessibility options like “Reduce Transparency” and “Increase Contrast.”
  • Some criticize Apple for focusing on flashy UI and AI while long‑standing basics like Spotlight search remain unreliable and slow.

Games and Performance

  • Apple’s ongoing push on low‑power gaming, Metal, and hardware performance leads some to speculate about Steam Deck–like ambitions, but skepticism remains about ecosystem and tooling.