Some HP with the company's decision to sell or spin-off PSG, saying they wanted to buy products from a single entity instead of going to multiple organizations for software and hardware purchases. Analysts have said that the PC business helped HP acquire hardware at cheaper rates, and that it also provided strong distribution and logistics capabilities, which were key for the printer and enterprise hardware businesses.

A lot of due diligence went into deciding to retain the PC unit, and there's no turning back, Prophet said.

"You can be certain that there was deep and thorough analysis behind this," Prophet said.

The PSG unit by an analyst in August when strategic alternatives were being explored. The high price made it tough sell in a down market in which other PC makers were struggling.

While competitors tried to prey on the uncertainty surrounding HP's PC business, there is no sign it was affected by that over the last few months: Prophet said that PC shipments grew in the third quarter.