Regarding management and security offerings, Apotheker again was light on details, beyond saying that HP will develop new software internally as well expand through acquisitions.

What kind of acquisitions? Well, software that advances cloud and connectivity not "the old software stack" -- a seemingly pointed reference to traditional software products offered by rivals like IBM or HP.

Apotheker said that HP's focus in analytics will be centered on helping customers with 'big data' applications that involve huge data sets. HP recently announced plans to acquire an analytics software company named Vertica Systems, and HP demonstrated a powerful new appliance incorporating the Vertica software that the company says will be available in multiple configurations soon after the acquisition is complete.

Apotheker described the analytics market as one that is poorly served by vendors today.

On the connectivity front, the new CEO reiterated his plans to ship PCs, printers, and tablets with the webOS operating system -- though not to the exclusion of Microsoft Windows.