With the newest versions of its operating systems, Apple has continue to push forward the goal of further integrating its hardware and software. On the basis of the press releases alone, no other company comes close in making sure everything works together as much as Apple. So on the basis of pie-in-the-sky hopes and dreams, Apple is on a roll.

As most of you know, some of the most interesting new features of macOS Sierra depend on a reliable iCloud setup — not to mention having enough space left for all that stuff. You know from yesterday’s column what I think about the latter. Apple should boost the amount of free storage, and make larger allocations cheaper.

The most serious concern is iCloud’s reliability, which is no great shakes. There have been numerous troubles over the years syncing content, and we all know about cases involving Apple Music and alleged disappearing music libraries. From time to time, iCloud services, such as email, are down for the count for a while.

True Apple is busy building out its server farms, so capacity shouldn’t be a problem. Reliability is another story entirely, and Universal Clipboards, the ability to sync the Desktop and Documents folder across devices, and Optimized Storage, all depend on a system that’s absolutely dependable.

It doesn’t appear as if Apple needs to reinvent the wheel for any of this. There are already successful online backup services that offer various degrees of granularity in making reliable captures of your files. A great part of what Apple is doing involves backing up your stuff and sharing it. So I do think Apple can get that right.

But there is a serious limitation that isn’t being considered, and that’s bandwidth. With my Desktop and Documents folders totaling over 250GB, sending that stuff to the cloud will take its toll on my ISP’s bandwidth allotment. The previous service I used, CenturyLink, limited me to 250GB, so this would have been a non-starter. Cox gives me more.

I do realize that the amount of storage I will need may be somewhat on the high side. It would be basically a one-time process, and updates would be far smaller. But it’s still a potential deal breaker for many Mac users who don’t have generous bandwidth allotments. They might be put in the position of having their online connection throttled, suspended, or being forced to pay huge overage fees. Has Apple considered this? Is your data going to be compressed as much as possible on your iCloud Drive? What are we dealing with here?

As for Optimized Storage, I’ll assume that the amount of space it would routinely use will be far less, mainly because it will only deal with infrequently used apps to free up some extra storage space. Perhaps a few dozen gigabytes would be more than sufficient for most of you, if you even need the help. I don’t.

Now I’m not trying to dispute the possibility that macOS Sierra will be Apple’s best OS ever. I’m actually encouraged by the possibilities, assuming reliability and bandwidth requirements are dealt with. Mac users certainly don’t want to deal with the danger of not having a reliable cloud backup, and any sync glitches across devices would be a fatal blow.

The bandwidth issue has been festering for a while, particularly after Netflix has, at peak times, consumed over a third of the Internet capacity in use. Consider what will happen when large numbers of people are watching streamed 4K videos. ISPs are going to have to cope, and bandwidth ought to be unlimited except for the very few percent who abuse the privilege. Those customers should simply be asked to pay a somewhat higher fee to accommodate their usage patterns.

Meantime, I hope that Apple has prepared for the consequences of the expanding need for iCloud Drive storage, and Internet bandwidth. Developing all these features required a lot of hard work, and Apple has surely considered how much capacity it needs at its own server farms.

But when I read the tiny type on the page that introduces macOS Sierra, I see nothing about the need for extra iCloud storage, nor the possibility that you won’t have enough online bandwidth to accommodate copying this data. That doesn’t mean it won’t show up over the next few months, as Sierra comes closer to release. At first, I hope that public beta testers, who have not considered the consequences of using these new features, will be properly informed.

I’m not saying none of this will happen. There’s plenty of time for Apple to consider what information would-be testers need to know before getting involved. Don’t forget the common sense stuff, such as not using a production Mac, or at least doing it on an external drive or extra drive partition, and having a backup in case you want to give it all up and revert to the setup you previously used.

While Apple didn’t reinvent the wheel when demonstrating macOS Sierra, iOS 10, watchOS 3 and tvOS 10 at the WWDC keynote, they did introduce significant features that work best if you’re totally committed to one company’s products — theirs. So consider Continuity, which enables integration with macOS and iOS. It has been shaky, particularly HandOff, which lets you start a task on your iPad, such as working on a document and writing a message, and continue it on, say, your Mac. Or any combination of the above that may also include the iPhone.

But among the features that really hold promise is the Universal Clipboard. What this means is that you can copy a text or picture object on your Mac, and paste that content on your iPhone or iPad — or another Mac! It requires using the new operating systems of course, but it can surely save the drudgery of having to email or use Dropbox or another scheme to carry that material across the room, or into your pocket.

Except that it’s using your iCloud storage as the intermediary. Now with the default 5GB, it will probably be all right if you haven’t stuffed that space with your photos and other stuff. Most copy/paste operations are text, or small illustrations, so this system should work reasonably well. Of course, there may be somewhat of a delay to download and paste a larger object, but it shouldn’t be such a big deal.

But I still wonder why the copy/paste function, after 32 years of the Mac, is still limited to a single object. How about a Smart Universal Clipboard that lets you copy multiple objects with same method to keep track of each one? Take CopyPaste Pro as an example of how it might be done. There have been utilities of this sort on the Mac platform for years, and all we get from Apple is a way to support all your Apple gear with a single object.

At least it’s a way to entice you to stick with Apple’s walled garden. I get that, because expanding this feature to a Windows computer and an Android smartphone would present added complications, since they aren’t going to be using iCloud as the intermediary. And forget about the competitive factor.

But macOS Sierra’s ability to access your Desktop and Documents folder from multiple devices is where the trouble begins. Apple’s scheme is to store all this stuff in your iCloud Drive. But obviously it won’t fit within 5GB unless you don’t have much stuff on your Mac.

I don’t place all my documents in the Documents folder, and it still weighs in at over 44GB. I suspect it’s due to the presence of a Windows 10 virtual machine for Parallels Desktop. The real repository of many of my files is on the Desktop, where there are folders for my radio shows plus works-in-progress. It measures 208GB. In order to use this feature, I’d have to spring for $9.99 a month to cover a 1TB iCloud Drive subscription.

That’s the same price I pay for Office 365 Home, which offers me 1TB for each of five users in addition to 5 user licenses for Office on a Mac or PC, plus five more for smartphones. Of course, a Microsoft OneDrive cannot perform the magic in which Apple engages to create the Universal Clipboard and share the Desktop and Documents folders. So it’s means one more monthly bill. In passing, Apple ought to let you share other folders in which you store documents, rather than force you to use the ones they specify.

Then there’s the Optimize Storage feature that also uses iCloud to store the excess stuff. While 1TB should be sufficient for most Mac users, I can see where Apple might want to consider offering even larger packages, and I certainly think the price could be reduced. You should be able to order 1TB for $4.99 and, say, 500GB, for $2.99. The latter ought to be sufficient for most of you; it would be for me. I also think that Apple raise the standard free allocation to at least 25GB, but I have come to believe that 50GB would be a fairer choice.

But the iCloud Drive subscription packages are besides the point. The main issue here is that Apple is busy building out features that further integrate its operating systems and, hence, its hardware. When you move past the storage space you need, you end up with features that make it easier to manage your stuff and get your work done. With Optimized Storage, and the ability to keep tabs on unneeded installers and duplicate files, you’ll be able to get rid of all the cruft that normally accumulates on a Mac’s drive over the years.

None of these features are flashy and sexy. They are about efficiency and productivity, so long as you stick with Apple gear; the more the merrier. While Apple is no doubt going to be criticized for lock-on, don’t forget that Microsoft would prefer that you own a Windows PC, a Windows tablet, and a Windows phone. At best, they’ll get two out of three, since the mobile platform is pretty much kaput as far as market share is concerned.

The Android platform is too scattered to expect uniformity. Each manufacturer installs their own junkware, with the hope you’ll use those apps instead of Google’s.

At a time where sales are flat or declining, Apple is making its services as indispensable as possible. That move will continue generate a large and growing revenue source — and even the small fees you pay for a larger iCloud Drive subscription add up — and you’ll also be more tempted than ever to buy Apple when it’s time to replace one of your gadgets.

The preliminary word is out. Unlike the former OS X El Capitan and iOS 9, some older gear will not be supported with the forthcoming macOS Sierra and iOS 10 releases. While it’s still a pretty wide-range of equipment, some models have been dropped.

So for macOS Sierra, all Macs from 2010 on will be supported, along with the 2009 iMac and MacBook. That means from six to seven years, which is actually quite good. Some of those older Macs are long in the tooth, and I suspect the El Capitan user experience was not very snappy, so it’s about time for Apple to set them behind. The list of supported hardware, which includes all of my Macs, is actually quite good.

Sure, I’m writing out of self-interest, but still. I’m glad to be able to run the macOS Sierra betas without having to come up with the cash for new gear.

The same holds true for iOS 10. Some of the older models supported by iOS 9 are passed by. So forget about such gear as an iPhone 4s, iPad 3 (or third-generation), the original iPad mini or the iPod touch, fifth generation. In saying that, iOS 9 was no great shakes on these and other “vintage” products, so it’s no great loss. Yes, I’m aware that some published reports listed a wider range of supported products; I’m basing my summary on the reported system requirements that iOS developers will encounter. That could change later on, though that rarely, if ever, seems to occur.

Now some might suggest that Apple is leaving older gear behind just to sell you new stuff. That is not doubt partly true. But it’s also a matter of offering a good user experience, and when the hardware can barely keep up with the operating system, it’s not so good. Those of you who installed iOS 9 on an iPhone 4s, or an iPad 3, might agree that they should not have bothered.

Of course, it may not matter if the new operating systems really don’t offer much content that makes it compelling. While performance is reported to be pretty decent on early betas, I can see where users of older gear, particularly iPhones and iPads, will not have a satisfactory user experience.

As I reported yesterday, public betas will be offered in July, to give Apple more time to massage the builds to deliver better performance, and reduce the long bug list to a more acceptable level. Still, I am reluctant to recommend that most of you try these betas, at least until the late stages when they are close to release. For an iPhone, it’s not so serious if you run into a problem, because you can restore your device. But with macOS, you will want to install Sierra on a second partition — as I plan to do — or another drive. Another option is to use a Mac that you can spare for testing with the full realization that you might have to erase it and restore your stuff (from a backup, I trust) it something serious goes wrong.

Now as to the new operating systems, from what I’ve learned so far, I do not find the changes as especially drastic. For most of you, the look and feel will be similar enough to the current release that you can go about your business without a lot of exposure to the changes. In iOS 10, though, notifications will appear in black type over a a light gray background, which ought to make them far more readable, especially for a quick glance. I am not a fan of white on black text, and I have avoided it for the most part on my various sites.

The early chatter about Safari 10 for Sierra reveals a promising development that should help rid the online world of Flash, Java and other potentially harmful plugins. According to published reports, you will have to manually activate such plugins should you choose to use them on a site. The default setting is for HTML5, and there will be no way to set it up to use plugins by default.

Once you give approval to use the plugin for a site, if you don’t visit that site again for more than 30 days, you’ll have to activate it again. Obviously, if you run a site that requires any of these add-ons, you are apt to lose traffic when people are forced to click through placeholder labels to see your content. But that’s the way things are. Every time I read about a new security problem with Flash, I realize its time is passed.

All right, as some of you know, I have one site with a small amount of Flash content, for our “Attack of the Rockoids” sci-fi novels, and a web developer is working with me to remove it for good. Otherwise, I am happy to set Flash aside. But I remember, say about 10 years ago, when the person who helped me set up all of my sites told me that Flash was the future and I needed to make all of my sites compatible. I’m glad I didn’t listen to him.

The crystal ball readers and rumor sites had a big day Monday when Apple CEO Tim Cook and crew delivered the WWDC keynote. Of of the things they predicted will come to pass, and there were a some added goodies that are welcome if not earth-shattering..

One prediction that failed was the hope for new hardware. Refreshed MacBook Pros were expected by now. Last year a revised MacBook Air was released in March, with MacBook Pros arrived starting in May. Some suggest that Apple is losing sales and ground against Windows hardware, although it’s not as if people are rushing to upgrade PCs either.

In keeping with predictions that Apple would rebrand the Mac operating system to conform to the company’s other platforms, macOS Sierra was announced. As expected, Siri will be include; also developer APIs for macOS and iOS will allow third party apps to link to Siri as well.

One feature that might have traction is the promise of iCloud integration with the Desktop and Documents folders on your Mac, so you can access them from an iPhone and an iPad. All well and good, unless those two folders are positively huge — as mine are — and you must buy extra cloud storage.

The other features slated for Sierra are potentially useful, but not must-haves.

So the always buggy Continuity will gain a “Universal Clipboard” that allows you to copy text and photos on your iPhone or iPad and paste them on your Mac, and vice versa. I will assume this feature will depend on app developers adding support to their software, and that’s not guaranteed at all. Versions and other system enhancements announced over the years haven’t made their way into major productivity apps from the likes of Adobe, Microsoft and Quark.

Sierra also adapts the Picture-in-Picture multitasking feature from iOS, allowing you to float a video from iTunes and Safari on your desktop while you’re working on something else. Again, I assume developers will be able to will add this feature over time if it catches on.

While I lobbied for an enhanced version of Messages that supports more chatting systems, Apple chose, instead, to focus on the same fluff being attached to Messages for iOS 10. You’ll have text balloon animations, enlarged emojis (I can’t wait — or maybe I can), the ability to handwrite notes and other stuff that might attract younger people, but I suspect most of you are older than the target audience.

One potentially useful feature of Sierra is Optimized Storage, which will help you in case you are running out of storage space. With loads of Macs limited by small SSDs, infrequently used apps will be moved to iCloud. You’ll also receive reminders to remove old installers, duplicate files and other stuff that’s stuffing your Mac to the gills. Third party apps have allowed you to look for duplicates and other unneeded files, so it’s nice to see Apple putting that feature in the macOS.

I also hope that Apple will make iCloud storage more useful by increasing the free amount to, say, 25GB. Otherwise many of you will be forced to buy one of the paid plans to manage adding those less-used apps.

I was hoping for some fundamental fixes for Mail, and maybe they are going to be there, hidden in the fine print. But I’m not holding out much hope for it.

One of the most significant new features of iOS 10 may seem to be small potatoes, but it’s actually quite significant. So you’ll be able to remove most “first-party” apps just as you remove anyone else’s apps. That includes Maps, Contacts, Calendar, FaceTime and Music. Tim Cook made that promise a while back, and I’m glad it will be kept.

You’ll also get all that silly fluff in Messages. But more significant is that yet another Android feature will make its debut in iOS 10, and that’s widgets. This will allow Apple and developers to put up those tiny app windows on the home and lock screens. It sort of reminds me of the failed Dashboard on the Mac. But it will give Android users one less reason not to switch to the iPhone.

Apple also announced a long-awaited fix for Apple Music. With 15 million paying members — about half what Spotify claims — Apple Music is just shy of a year old. Spotify was founded in 2006. But after loads of early adopters complained that Apple Music had an overly-cluttered interface, things appear to have changed for the better.

So beginning with iOS 10 and macOS Sierra, there will be a new section known as “Downloaded Music,” which performs the identified task. Another new feature, “Curated For You” combines the Connect social network feature with curated mixes. Or at least, that’s the promise. We’ll have to see, when it comes out, whether I should consider signing up. I tried it for the 90 day trial, and one day I realized I hadn’t used it in a while. So I didn’t renew.

Maps also gets a redesign, with larger buttons and typefaces, making it easier for you to plan a trip and glance at the progress. A Maps API will allow developers to use the extensions feature to link their own apps. So you’ll be able to make restaurant reservations courtesy of OpenTable, and, if you’re so inclined, book a ride via Uber.

In adding these goodies — such as they are — Apple has removed support from some older gear, such as the iPhone 4s. That’s actually a good thing as that old handset — where Siri first debuted in 2011 — was hardly up to the task of managing iOS 9.

As with prior operating systems, macOS Sierra and iOS 10 are due this fall; the latter most likely when the rumored iPhone 7 arrives.

Useful revisions were also announced for tvOS and watchOS.

Developers are getting the first betas to knock around this week. Public betas will appear by July. This will give Apple more time to get them ready for public consumption. The Night Owl is already preparing to set aside an external drive on my iMac with which to test the early builds of Sierra. I will check whether my wife is willing to submit her iPhone 5c to such abuse. She doesn’t use it that much, and I can always restore it if the beta is too bug-ridden.

My overall view is that this is pretty much an average, though interesting, set of OS enhancements. Nice features, but little or nothing that will advance the state of the art. In saying that, however, I definitely plan to upgrade.