HP could appoint a new CEO within the next two or three weeks, suggests The San Jose Mercury News.

In a story based on unnamed sources, the newspaper claims that former Compaq CEO Michael Capellas has been scratched off the list of possible replacements. HP acquired Compaq in 2001 and Capellas for a brief period worked for the combined company before taking on a CEO position at MCI, formerly Worldcom – the telecommunications company that ripped off investors and customers with their deceptive bookkeeping.

HP executive vice president Shane Robison isn't an option either, the paper says.

The news story goes on to repeat some of the names of that have circulated in the past:

Vyomesh Joshi, HP executive vice president in charge of HP's most successful business unit: the printing and imaging business. He recently took on responsibility for personal computers too.

Ann Livermore, HP executive vice president in charge of professional services and enterprise servers.

James McNerney, chief executive of 3M.

Rick Belluzzo, a former HP executive and currently CEO of Quantum, a San Jose maker of storage tape drives.

Symantec CEO John Thompson, formerly with IBM.

Sean Maloney who's heading up Intel's Mobility Group.

John Joyce, Group Executive of IBM Global Services.