Five Companies That Dropped The Ball This Week

HP Sinks Into Deeper Gloom After Whitman Lays Troubles On Table

In September 2016, the U.S. will be gearing up to elect a new president, and Hewlett-Packard will have completed its turnaround to the point where revenues are in line with GDP.

That's according to HP CEO Meg Whitman who, in a meeting with Wall Street analysts, painted a picture of financial turmoil at the company that was much worse than expected.

HP's guidance for fiscal 2013 came in well short of Wall Street's expectations. HP expects non-GAAP profit of $3.40 to $3.60 per share for fiscal 2013, compared to the consensus analyst estimate of $4.05. In GAAP terms, HP is expecting $2.10 to $2.30 a share after charges of $1.30 per share.

HP shares dropped $2.20, or more than 12 percent Wednesday to $14.93, their lowest level since 2003.

Microsoft Co-Founder Calls Windows 8 User Interface 'Puzzling'

Paul Allen likes Windows 8 overall and thinks it will succeed. That said, he has some reservations about the Windows 8 user interface.

"I did encounter some puzzling aspects of Windows 8. The bimodal user experience can introduce confusion, especially when two versions of the same application -- such as Internet Explorer -- can be opened and run simultaneously," Allen said in a blog post.

The fact that the Microsoft co-founder is using words like "confusing" and "puzzling" should be at least a bit concerning to a company placing such huge bets on the OS.

Nokia Gives AT&T Exclusive U.S. Rights For Lumia 920

Nokia tapped AT&T as its exclusive carrier for its Lumia 920 smartphone, which means Verizon customers that might want to get their hands on the impressive new Windows Phone 8 device will have to seethe quietly until the deal expires. Nokia has pinned its hopes to Windows Phone, so it better have received an amazing deal from AT&T, because Verizon is, you know, the country's largest carrier.

After enduring the embarrassment of being caught faking a promotional video for the Lumia 920, Nokia is once again making a decision that has some would-be customers scratching their heads.

Google: Motorola Mobility Reorg More Costly Than We Thought

Google revealed that additional Motorola Mobility layoffs are on the way, along with a third-quarter charge of $300 million -- $25 million more than originally forecast -- due to increased employee severance packages.

Google in August said it plans to cut 4,000 jobs from Motorola Mobility, and the search firm also expects to take a $90 million hit for broader restructuring charges over the course of the next year. Of these charges, $40 million are coming in its fiscal third quarter.

Analyst Says Splitting Up RIM Wouldn't Be Worth The Effort

Credit Suisse analyst Kulbinder Garcha does not think splitting up components of Research In Motion's business will make them more attractive to a would-be acquirer.

"A break up is possible," Garcha told All Things Digital. "[But] we question the quality of the underlying patent portfolio and also believe that converting RIM’s existing network operations center for other OS platforms may require a high level of effort for minimal functionality improvement."