Explosive decompression is a near instantaneous as you will get. As suggested, on a large aircraft you would not expect explosive decompression from loss of cabin Windows etc.
Loss of cabin pressurisation could be a slower event but one presumes loss of pressure warnings would give time to react.
Between these is rapid decompression. Now there was speculation of loss of a windscreen. In the case of, poof its gone, you would have an explosive decompression. But more likely might be a rapid failure.
Say one layer cracking, then detaching, then intermediate and final layers failing in turn. At that point you might reduce cabin pressure and reduce pressure differential. The rate of failure may then increase leading to explosive decompression.
I am not suggesting this as a cause but suggesting that there are slower ways for decompression to occur.
Last edited by Pontius Navigator; 25th Mar 2015 at 16:33.