Now that Alan Mulally won't lead Microsoft, sources say it will consider key insiders. But analysts think a "dark horse" outsider is possible.

Now that Ford CEO Alan Mulally is out of the running for the top slot at Microsoft, sources say Mister Softy is down to a "handful" of candidates. Two are insiders: executive vice president Tony Bates, and cloud division chief Satya Nadella. The other is former Nokia CEO Stephen Elop who used to work at Microsoft. But investors looking for a big overhaul may be disappointed if an internal executive replaces Steve Ballmer.