Microsoft is planning to unveil more of Windows 10 early next year.

In the hopes of doing away with all the negativity that came with the widely maligned Windows 8 and its Windows 8.1 update, Microsoft took the wraps off its next iteration of its Windows operating system earlier this year. Apparently, the difference in Windows 8 and Windows 10 is so huge that Microsoft decided to skip an entire number just to separate the two.

While Microsoft has made available a technical preview of Windows 10 since October, the preview is dedicated for technically-inclined users who know how to get around preview versions of operating systems. Moreover, the Windows 10 event the company held in September was targeted for enterprise users, where Microsoft highlighted the productivity features that will be most useful for business customers.

However, The Verge reports that Microsoft is planning to introduce the consumer side of Windows 10 sometime in late January 2015. Although Microsoft will be attending the Consumer Electronics Show to be held in Las Vegas on the same month, sources tell The Verge Microsoft is brewing up a much bigger, separate event than the low-key San Francisco unveiling it held in September, where it promised another Windows 10 event scheduled for "early 2015".  

So far, those who have downloaded the Windows 10 technical preview seem to be impressed with what Microsoft has to offer. Unlike the jarring changes that users had to deal with in Windows 8, Windows 10 takes a "back to basics" approach while incorporating some of the newer touchscreen-optimized features that turned off many users of Windows 8.

Users will be excited to see the return of the beloved Start menu, whose non-existence in Windows 8 elicited a furor from Windows users. The all-new Start menu will have a cleaner, simpler interface, while providing users the ability to incorporate the Metro-style Live Tiles for their most used applications.

Another anticipated feature are the virtual desktops, or what some call the "poor man's multi-monitor setup". Most Windows users are familiar with switching between windows to access all their open programs, but virtual desktops will have them switching between desktops. For instance, one desktop can have PowerPoint, Photoshop and email open, but the user can easily switch to another desktop which has Spotify and Facebook open.

Windows 10 is not just limited to desktop, though. Microsoft designed the OS for all platforms, including Windows phones, tablets and the Xbox One.

"We understand Microsoft will announce the details of its Windows 10 consumer event before the end of the year," reports The Verge.