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The invitation arrived via FedEx, in a plain white envelope with a handwritten inscription. The card was spare, clean, white.
Like pretty much everything Apple does these days, it was fancy in an understated way.
It was the message inside this card, sent Wednesday to reporters and tech analysts, that now has people guessing: "This coming Tuesday, Apple invites you to the unveiling of a breakthrough digital device," it said. Then, teasingly, there was one more bit: "(Hint: it's not a Mac)."
Citing secret sources, a few media outfits said that it would be some kind of "digital music device," though not just a regular MP3 player. But unlike most tech companies, Apple guards its innovations with an iron fist, once even filing suit against a loose-lipped employee.
That move apparently inspired so much fear in employees that the leaks now appear to be sealed -- and in the absence of good info, rumors and fantasies about what Apple was up to reached a fevered pitch on Thursday.
To the extent that it's possible to know -- with some sort of accuracy -- anything about this thing, here's what's known:
It is not a Mac, obviously. ThinkSecret, a Mac news site, posted a note saying it was a "'music-type' recorder/player," which was corroborated by a News.com story calling it "a component for a home digital stereo system."
MacOS Rumors posted a message from a "source" who said that he "personally (knows) that it involves collaboration between the QuickTime and iTunes development team with another self-contained team." QuickTime is Apple's video format; iTunes is a digital music player for the Mac.
But that's it, the extent of what is known about this device: It's not a Mac and it has something to do with music. Other than that, the company is mum. Calls to a couple of media relations representatives at Apple went unanswered; they didn't even respond to a message asking simply, "Why all the secrecy?"
Which is a good question. When other tech companies are set to release something, the media and analysts and even the general public are alerted to their machinations months or years in advance. Microsoft is a good example of this. People have known about Windows XP -- the next version of the Windows OS -- for at least a year, and Microsoft's Xbox video game console that will be released in November seems like it's never been a secret.
The lead time gives people a chance to discuss the products, eventually creating a buzz.
But Apple's a different fruit altogether. During the past few years, CEO Steve Jobs' surprise announcements, delivered in his distinctive, low-key manner, have demonstrated an unmatched ability to create instant buzz.
There's no need for lead time. Apple needs only to scribble a note to reporters and, immediately, there are rumblings about something big afoot. The rumor sites abound with speculation, and Mac fans strain their heads to put their fingers on Apple's next dream machine.
"I think Apple likes to do it because that's just Steve's style," said Monish Bhatia, the publisher of the Mac news site MacNN. "Steve has repeatedly said he loves delivering the surprise himself. You get a greater media impact if he does it."
Bhatia, too, doesn't know what the device is, but he doesn't mind that too much. "It's a good strategy," he said. "There's a lot of talk in the media before they announce, after they announce. And they say all buzz is good buzz." Bhatia also likes the surprises, and "I personally believe (the speculation) contributes to community," he said.
The speculation was rabid on Thursday. At the MacCentral Forums and other discussion sites, there appeared to be an agreement that the device was probably a kind of music player that was loaded with other features -- AirPort wireless connectivity, an iTunes interface, and more.
It was a given that the device would be beautiful too, and that it would probably fit into Apple's "digital hub" strategy -- which encourages people to choose Macs because they work well with digital devices.
But the tone of Apple's announcement prompted some people to suggest that this was going to be more than just a regular audio player. After all, the invitation said "breakthrough digital device," and Fred Anderson, Apple's finance guy, called it "groundbreaking" in a conference call on Tuesday.
Trying to imagine something that was truly a breakthrough, some floated the theory that it was a "high-definition" DVD player (better than regular DVDs), or a DVD player with recording capabilities. Or maybe it was a reincarnation of Apple's old Newton device?
Then there were some people who were clearly dreaming: a Mac boombox; a portable Mac storage device that held everything; or "A black cube that does everything." Maybe it's "Ginger," the mystery device that inventor Dean Kamen was rumored to have dreamed up earlier this year. Now, this is Apple's dilemma when it comes to secrets: What happens when people start dreaming of spectacular machines, and in the end, all you release is a lousy old MP3 player? Or even a pretty good MP3 player? Won't the whole thing feel like a letdown?
"This is one of the few bolder statements they've made about an upcoming device," Bhatia said. "I'm struggling to think outside the box myself. I don't know whether this means it comes with excellent handwriting or speech recognition -- that's really the only thing I can think of that's groundbreaking."
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