Robert X. Cringely predicts that Eric Schmidt could be Microsoft’s next CEO replacing Steve Ballmer. I’m not saying it wouldn’t or couldn’t happen but I will say it would be an even worse move than when the Board decided Ballmer was a good choice to replace Bill Gates.
At the end of his piece he says "Who would you pick?" This may sound like a really, really odd choice but I’d choose Jon Rubinstein to lead Microsoft. He may have not done a great job with running Palm as a business but I think he’d bring a level of taste to Microsoft that has simply never been there at C-level.
Microsoft knows how to run a business. They’ve got that down. What they need is a clear direction to build amazing products instead of just announcing them. So bring on someone who demands good taste. Rubinstein fits that.