One wonders whether there might have been an element of planning about this appointment. Hurd had waved his chopper about (in more ways than one) and might have been approaching the end of his reign at HP with no further cuts feasible. Is it possible that his good mate Ellison had a word as they duelled over the net about joining Orrible? Could the HP board have become suspicious of what was happening and shoved him out before Hurd had a chance to inflict wilful damage on the HP corporation?
After all, just perhaps Hurd might have chosen to go at a time when HP would have been much more embarassed, so they took the hit at the end of Q3.
Little green men do exist, and I will keep taking the tablets, honest luv.