Normally $ 199.95, the way-cool Chumby 8 tablet/frame thingy is on sale for $ 129.

(Credit: Chumby Industries)

It started with August’s $ 99 HP TouchPad and culminated with yesterday’s $ 199 Amazon Kindle Fire, but suddenly the tablet deals are everywhere. (Well, not everywhere–cough, Apple store, cough.)

For example, today only, and while supplies last, Woot has the refurbished 32GB Motorola Xoom Wi-Fi 10.1-inch tablet for $ 349.99, plus $ 5 for shipping. Price just a couple months ago: $ 600.

Meanwhile, the 7-inch BlackBerry PlayBook is now selling for $ 299.99 at retailers like Best Buy (where it’s currently backordered, interestingly). Days earlier, it was $ 499.99. Of course, unless you need built-in cameras, I can’t see choosing that over the Kindle Fire.

This is just the beginning, folks. I’m already seeing lots of cheapo, no-brand Android tablets selling for under $ 100 (but steer clear–they all absolutely, positively suck), and it won’t be long before the Fire forces the big names to cut prices even more. (Mark my words: Apple will have to knock the entry-level iPad 2 down to $ 399.)

Anyway, today is all about a cool photo-frame/alarm-clock/tablet hybrid. From now through Sunday, Oct. 2, you can get the Chumby 8 (red or black) for $ 129, plus $ 12 for shipping. This deal is actually a CNET exclusive, and not available anywhere else. (Nice one, bosses!)

What, you may ask, is a Chumby 8? It’s a tablet of sorts, one that runs all kinds of apps but is designed more for sitting on a kitchen counter or nightstand than on a lap.

It’s an alarm clock, a photo frame, a media player, a Facebook/Twitter reader, and so on, all wrapped into a stylish-looking frame with an 8-inch touchscreen. I’ll let CNET’s review fill you in on the rest of the details.

The Chumby 8 sells direct for $ 199.95, so $ 129 is definitely a tempting price. I could see putting one of these in the kitchen, and using it as a photo frame, Pandora streamer, weather reporter, and so on. In other words, it’s a nifty little media/info hub, one that might make somebody a nice gift.

By the way, if you previously bought a Chumby One, you can get an additional $ 10 off the Chumby 8. See the promo page for details.

Bonus deal: More free-credit goodness from Amazon! Get a $ 2 Amazon MP3 credit when you use coupon code FALLMP3S.