http://www.theverge.com/2013/11/8/5080192/microsoft-ceo-candidate-stephen-elop-bing-xbox-rumors

"Bloomberg also suggests that Elop is willing to shut down or sell some major Microsoft businesses. Elop would reportedly considering killing off the company's Bing search engine, while contemplating selling the Xbox business."

When I saw the thread title, my first thought was 'well, what about xbox?"  We may have a 2fer.

>nuke Bing

I can't decide if it would be a shame or allow room for other, leaner competitors in the search engine space.

It would certainly complicate/enhance the monopoly issue that G keeps having to face, particularly with EU.

Microsoft's PR response:

"We appreciate Bloomberg's foray into fiction and look forward to future episodes."

http://techreport.com/news/25629/report-as-microsoft-ceo-elop-could-kill-bing-sell-xbox-business

The problem is the most ready competitors would come out of Russia (Yandex) and/or China, and I trust neither to be inclusive or politically neutral.

I had hoped that somebody in the EU would develop a search engine or two but it seems like nobody wants to try.  I think Marisa thinks Yahoo made a major mistake getting out of search and would love for Y! To get back in, but she can't see paying the lawyers for a battle with Microsoft.

>fiction

There is that, but stranger things have happened just to satisfy a new CEO's ego.  Witness what happened with HP and webOS or Fox TV and Firefly.  ;-)