However, Whitman has very little in her background that makes her a good match for a company of HP's size, nor does is she "deeply experienced in the enterprise IT space," he said.

Moreover, Whitman made an unsuccessful run for the governorship of California, but "has continued to discuss her political ambitions," King said.

Therefore, it's possible that Whitman will provide HP with some "star power" in the CEO's chair while the company board guides the broader strategy and sets about finding a more permanent CEO, according to King.

One first step for HP and Whitman could be to reevaluate the company's core PC and WebOS businesses and continue developing a strategy around software and the cloud. Another could be to provide a clear statement on the direction of HP without undermining existing businesses.

Apotheker mishandled the webOS software and hardware business, which was bought from Palm by former CEO Hurd, said Roger Kay, president of Endpoint Technologies Associates. HP has now killed its WebOS tablets and smartphones, leaving only the software element.