Seamless. Automatic. Dummy-proof. Easy. These are words that have largely described Apple’s MO over the last few years and the upcoming iCloud service continues with that tradition. And now Apple has formally announced a launch date of October 12.

That ties in with the release of iOS 5 and the timing is about right for the new iPhone 4S too. In case you haven’t been following along, iCloud is a free service from Apple that essentially synchronizes your content across multiple iOS devices. If you have an iPhone and an iPad, you can access your content using your existing Apple ID.

When you download or purchase new content on one iOS device, that purchase is stored in the iCloud. When you boot up your other iOS device, connect it to a Wi-Fi network, and plug it into a power source, it will get that content for you. No need for additional updates to your library. The same is true with the new Newsstand feature, which is “a new way to purchase and organize your newspaper and magazine subscriptions.”