With Apple’s announcements of new operating systems and products, the summer of anticipation begins. The word we like to sum up some of the new possibilities is “continuity.” Here’s why.

One of the new capabilities you’ll have with the new iOS 8 operating system for the iPhone is the ability to start writing an email on your iPhone and continue writing it on your Mac, which may be able to run OSX 10.10 – to be known as Yosemite. In many ways, it’s Apple’s attempt to succeed where Microsoft hasn’t in enabling users to work across multiple platforms.

Apple is also offering the capability to send text or instant messages to contacts with non-Apple devices. It will end a major headache for many who have contacts with Android devices (see New Devices and the Texting Blues). Apple also announced several new apps for the new OS.

Naturally, Apple will want you to use that capability on their new iPhone 6, due to hit the market in September. The new iOS 8 will run on the iPhone 4S and all iPhone 5 devices, and it will work with iPad 2 and later.

A lot will be happening this summer as developers start working with the new operating systems. You can read more about Apple’s new features on the company’s iOS 8 Preview page. We’ll keep you posted as news unfolds.