Oops! Wal-Mart leaks Black Friday prices online

For those not in the know, "Black Friday" is the name given to the Friday after Thanksgiving by retailers because of the hordes who begin their Christmas shopping that day and run the sales staff ragged from dawn to dusk. Typically, stores have special sales to bring the hordes their way and drive the start of holiday sales. But usually these sales are kept secret right up until the day, to keep competitors from outpricing them. But apparently someone at Wal-Mart did not get the memo and leaked the specials early.

And here's what to expect: A Hewlett-Packard Pavilion ze2308wm notebook computer for $398; an HP Photosmart E317 digital camera for $98.88; a Lexmark all-in-one printer, scanner and copier for $39.88; and a 12-cup coffeemaker, food chopper or 2 qt. slow cooker for just $4.24.

Watch for this to drive competitors like Target and Kohls to go EVEN lower, and announce their prices early as well. This could be a good year for shoppers to get great deals, and a bad year for cashiers who will need to pry apart desperate grandmothers fighting tooth and nail over the last "Tickle-Me-Potato-Head" discounted doll on the shelves.