HPQ didn't have a bad quarter. Certainly not bad enough to "dash hopes of tech recovery". Beat estimates on profit and sales forecasts. Sales would have risen 4% if it were not for currency fluctuations (and this is after slashing prices). And the best news out of this is their forecast of growing revenue by 8% QOQ and reaffirming 2009 guidance.
Most people were expecting worse numbers to come out of HPQ than was actually reported. That being said, it wasn't a stellar quarter by any means, but nowhere near terrible.