HP ^[1]’s on-again, off-again relationship with the PC market might be a lot like a bad celebrity marriage. But when it comes to tablets, the company is making a commitment, launching the Windows 7-based Slate 2.

But the launch likely won’t make a big splash in the market. The 8.9-inch capacitive multi-touch screen device features a 3-megapixel camera, a front-facing VGA camera for video calls, and Swype technology; but it is just a “slight upgrade” of the Slate 500, which launched in October 2010, says Mashable’s Stan Schroeder.

Pricing on the Slate 2 begins at $699 and will be available this month.

Read more at Mashable ^[2].