I suspect Canonical's demonstration of Android apps running on Ubuntu will be of some interest to HP. If Android app support could be added to HP's Ubuntu netbooks, HP would have an interesting alternative offering to the up-and-coming Android-only netbooks.

is it possible to bloat linux to the
point that it becomes slow and pointless?

Open Source is like Lego. Is it possible to build something bloated, slow and pointless with Lego? Yes it is, but you can't make it stick. Someone can always come along and pull it apart into something more sensible.

HP and software? You get the same result as when mixing a quart of their overpriced ink with a pound of their overpriced toner.

World-class muddle and mess. The Itanic in software. Enough GPFs to make Microsoft and nVidia look almost competent.

If HP actually wrote any code, and if it's GPL, the FSF may have to sue to prevent them from sharing it.

they don't need to bloat it, but I would enjoy a nice super dumbed down linux, with actual vendor support. Man that would be something. Maybe I'll just wait for that android netbook, that sounded even better

is it possible to bloat linux to the point that it becomes slow and pointless?

We'll see I guess...