iOS 5, iCloud now available to all

iOS 5, iCloud now available to all -

Apple announced last week that iOS 5 and iCloud would be available Oct. 12, and as of around 10 a.m. PDT, both are indeed open to the general public. You can download iOS 5 for your iPhone, iPad and iPod touch by plugging it into your computer and checking for updates in iTunes. You can also sign up now for iCloud either via an iOS device with iOS 5 installed, or by updating your Mac to 10.7.2 using Software Update, and then accessing the iCloud section in System Preferences.

Apple TV users can also grab iOS 4.4 for Apple TV (2nd gen models) now, which allows you to use AirPlay Mirroring.

In addition to users who will be downloading iTunes 10.5, released yesterday, in order to be able to install iOS 5 on their devices, the amount of software flowing from Apple’s servers as users upgrade this morning will likely put a heavy strain on its backend infrastructure. Hopefully Apple’s new massive N.C. data center helps it keep up with demand, but don’t be surprised if you have trouble connecting or encounter download delays.

Both iOS 5 and iCloud represent major changes and additions to your Mac and iOS device experience, so we have extensive coverage of both planned for the rest of the day. Stay tuned as we explain various features and also take you through the process of setting many of them up.

(Via TheAppleBlog.)