Two : IT managers are also our friends; therefore, HP has a lot of friends.

IT managers are losing control over a company's IT direction. The new influencers can be anyone from cloud-using board members, to mini-groundswells, such as the ad hoc adoption of tablets by a marketing team.

IT decision making today is distributed, which is a major reason why HP's is creating apps stores for both consumer and enterprise products. Underscore enterprise.

Says Apotheker, "What we really aim for is that individual within an enterprise, the famous -- for the lack of a better term, forgive me if it's a horrible term -- 'prosumer.'"

Three : Apple has lots of consumer friends, HP has lots of IT manager friends; we'll see whose friends matter the most.