It's been a tumultuous year for Windows. But what if Windows 10 has little to do with the future of Windows? What if Windows 10 failing was, if not a plan, then at least something that Microsoft feels is acceptable so that it could move more quickly to the next thing?

My worry is that this next thing won't really be Windows. And the evidence certainly supports this worry, since Microsoft has been openly testing and shipping various platforms that are not Windows for decades.