Well, this is good, at least... we've finally managed to confirm that there is an Apple press event today at 10 AM PDT, though it's apparently not at the historic Flint Center as MacSlash recently reported-- and not because the Flint Center was already booked, since its online calendar still shows today to be wide open. So maybe it's time to tone down any expectations you may have of earth-shattering product introductions on par with the first iMac or the original Macintosh.

But like we said, the fabled press event is indeed happening, and several unnameable sources have even passed us what appears to be the details of this shindig. Instead of booking the Flint Center, Apple apparently opted to keep the home field advantage by setting up shop in its own Town Hall, where only invited press will be admitted. All employees are invited to watch the event live via closed-circuit TV in Caffé Mac (as well as via satellite broadcast in various far-flung Apple Market Centers scattered throughout the country). Applefolk are reminded that the broadcast is "internal only," and that guests, PowerBooks, iBooks, PDAs, and recording devices need to be checked at the door.

As for the subject of this secret little get-together, that's still anybody's guess. We're still leaning heavily towards an unveiling of new iBooks, especially since faithful viewer Chris Wood and several others noted that Apple's web site was mysteriously down late last night; once service was restored, there were no visible changes, but we strongly suspect that Apple's web gnomes were busy setting the stage for a quick and seamless content flip once Steve gives the word-- at which point "the new iBook" will be replaced with "the new new iBook." Meanwhile, expectations of a retail store announcement are running high, and Macworld predicts a heavy focus on Apple's recent purchase of PowerSchool and how that will tie in with the company's education strategy.

That's all well and good, and we don't want to step on anybody's buzz, but personally, we've just tapped into a dark vein of dread and feel compelled to share it with you. The more we know about this "press event," the more we're vaguely concerned that bad news is a-brewin'. Think about it; when was the last time Apple announced a new product only to the press, with no webcast or anything? We can't recall a single instance, because word-of-mouth by the Mac faithful is the best advertising the company ever gets. And even if you accept the premise that Apple would do such a thing, why is the whole event shrouded in such secrecy?

More questions: What sort of announcement warrants informing the entire Apple staff and select members of the press, but not the Mac community at large? Why keep the announcement on comfortable home turf? Why are we so gosh-darned paranoid all the time? Maybe it's just our natural angst rising to the surface and our dramatic minds run amuck, but all this cloak-and-dagger stuff (coupled with recent rumors that Steve Jobs has been pondering the unthinkable) has us a bit on edge. Hopefully in a few hours, though, our worrywart expressions will be replaced with slavering looks of techno-lust as we eye the new contours of Apple's latest gear. We'll see.