A few other shareholders suggested they'd like HP to be more like Apple. Apple's market capitalization is currently 10 times that of HP's, one man noted, saying Apple achieved that "in a market where we used to be dominant."

"I think we all have to applaud Apple for their success," Whitman replied gamely. Steve Jobs was "probably the business genius of our generation," she said.

"There's a little company in Cupertino not far from here which has stores that simply sell their own products," another shareholder said, also referring to Apple, "and people line up the night before to buy its products. I would like to see HP have its own store."

"It could also have a repair capability," he continued, "so when the printer head fails on my printer, I don't have to wait two or three weeks for a new one to arrive from your facility on the East Coast."

HP just opened a store in Brazil, Whitman said, and it's improving its website to make it easier for people elsewhere to buy its products.