They’re coming. We know they’re coming, and we know most of the details, yet Apple continues to tease us with their tight-lipped policy about commenting on leaks. As if Apple’s success hasn’t turned a quarter of the tech press into an Apple leak machine, searching desperately through shipping orders of Chinese Manufacturers. Still, the rumors and leaks keep coming about the iPad mini.

Today’s latest rumor about the upcoming iPad Mini is that the invitations to the device’s big announcement event are to be mailed out on October 10th. The rumor comes from CNN Money, which cites an unnamed “major Apple investor” who has heard the rumor from multiple other unnamed sources. Based on this prediction CNN estimates that October 17th will be the day of the announcement, and that iPad Minis will hit Apple stores in early November.

Even if this rumor turns out to be based on nothing in reality, it’s likely to be close to the truth. There isn’t much time left before the holiday shopping season begins, and an announcement in the next five to six weeks is all but certain.

Though it had always been Apple’s contention that the iPad is the perfect size for a tablet device, the success of Amazon’s Kindle Fire tablets and Google’s Nexus 7 have proven that people also want something smaller and less expensive. Apple’s brand will certainly give the iPad Mini a large chunk of the 7-inch tablet market, but it might not dominate it the way the iPad does the 10-inch market.

Whether Apple will have enough of the tablets to cover demand is another factor to consider when speculating on the iPad Mini’s potential success. The hype from the iPhone 5 launch has not even died down yet, and some people still can’t get their hands on one. Another huge product launch right before Christmas could drive Apple fans to desperation.