What to except from the Windows 10 Consumer Event in January

Windows 10 is currently available as a preview designed to give tech enthusiasts, developers and businesses a chance to work with the operating system and give Microsoft feedback about it.

If you have had time to play around with the system, you know that Microsoft made several changes to it which distinguish it from its predecessor Windows 8.

The notable changes so far are a new start menu that combines app tiles, apps and desktop programs in one,  a multi-desktop option to use virtual desktops and search improvements.

The company stated before that this preview won't show consumer benefits or changes that will find their way into Windows 10.

News broke today that the company will hold an event on January 21, 2014 in Redmond, Washington which will shed light on that.

We don't know much about the event other than that part of it will be streamed live on the Internet and that several high-profile Microsoft employees including CEO Satya Nadella but also Joe Belfiore and Phil Spenser will attend it.

While it is certainly possible that Microsoft will reveal a killer feature on the event that willl be part of the Windows 10 operating system, I think it is unlikely that this is going to happen.

The company will reveal some features, like the already leaked support for mkv and flac files in the operating system, about Continuum, and maybe reveal how Cortana, the company's digital assistant, will work on the desktop.

Microsoft may reveal additional features of interest to home users, there is no doubt about that and Windows 10 on the desktop will move further away from Windows 8 functionally.

It is unlikely that Microsoft will give up on core features that it introduced in Windows 8 though and anyone hoping that this will be the case will most likely be disappointed.

Windows Store and apps will still have a major place in the operating system and chance is high that other features that desktop users don't make use of a lot or at all will remain part of the system as well.

Some features and tools could be streamlined which will be useful to many desktop users. Windows 8 features two control panels currently for instance which Microsoft has been criticized for in the past.

I think that Microsoft will reveal several features that improve the system in a way or two which will make it attractive to Windows users who have not upgraded their system to Windows 8.

Usability on the desktop is improved already in the technical preview and it is easier than ever to avoid the start screen interface and apps if you want to.

Microsoft Windows 10 will most likely be released in the Fall of 2015. I would not be surprised if it came out in late September or October 2015.