Okay, we admit it. Some of us were Carly Fiorina fans. She made big promises … developed a grand vision for HP’s merger with Compaq … but failed to deliver the financial goods at HP.

Then in March 2005, along came Carly’s replacement, Mark Hurd–a dollars-and-cents guy who previously led NCR’s turnaround. Instead of getting cozy with the media, Hurd spent all of his time with HP’s customers, partners and staff.

Gradually, bears turned bullish on HP and Hurd. As the company prepares to announce 2Q results on May 16, MarketWatch, PC expert John Dvorak and The Wall Street Journal Online (subscription required) have jumped on the HP bandwagon. HP’s progress has prompted Hurd to grant a few interviews, including a recent chat with CRN.