The answer is yes, of course. This multi-billion-dollar juggernaut will roll along regardless of who’s chairing the board. The bigger question is would it be better off with a new CEO and a new chairman both learning new, very big jobs, together.

On the plus side, however you feel about Bill Gates, he built a software colossus out of the company he co-founded with Paul Allen 39 years ago. to recap, Bloomberg reported Thursday that the Microsoft board is close to naming Satya Nadella as the next CEO — which would be news. Bigger news was the contention that the board may ask Gates to relinquish his chairmanship.

He was the first CEO and has remained chairman of the board after handing that job over to his friend (well then-friend anyway) and colleague Steve Ballmer in January 2000. Even folks who derided early Windows as derivative and buggy, will admit…