Microsoft To Unveil The Consumer Side Of Windows 10 On January 21

December 12, 2014

Following the release of an enterprise-focused preview of Windows 10 earlier this winter, Microsoft will further takes the wraps off of its next operating system on January 21 of next year.

The company has repeatedly claimed that what is has released of Windows 10 far has been a small fraction of its larger size. This event, which won’t release the final preview, as I understand the company’s release schedule, will contain a consumer-friendly set of features. Microsoft is making something akin to a three-part pitch to the computing market: enterprise, then consumer, and finally, a release for developers.

The event will be livestreamed. Windows 10 has seen warmer initial reviews that Windows 8 accrued in its early life, but remains a nascent product that has managed to irk some power users with changes to how it handles OneDrive, the company’s cloud storage solution.

TechCrunch will cover the event live. Provided that Microsoft can make a compelling case as to why Windows 10 is different, and therefore more palatable to the mass market than its predecessor, the company could continue its rehabilitation of the Windows brand itself.

For now, Microsoft has promised to not release a new build of Windows 10 before the New Year, so it’s a decent guess that until the 21st, we won’t get new code through official channels.

(TC)