A view of the upcoming Mac App Store.

The Mac App Store could be launching as early as next week, a report from Apple enthusiast blog Appletell claims.

Citing an "inside source," Appletell is reporting that Apple plans a December 13 launch of its Mac App Store, which will allow people to download both paid and free applications to their Mac computers. The blog claims that developers were told by Apple to "have their software prepared for a launch as early as [today]." However, the publication's source said that Apple launching the marketplace today seemed unlikely.

It's important to note that Appletell's story is very much a rumor at this point and that Apple has not confirmed a date for the launch of its planned store.

If the store does launch next week, it would be way ahead of schedule.

When Apple CEO Steve Jobs first unveiled plans for the Mac App Store in late October, he said that it would be available to Snow Leopard users in "90 days," indicating that the store would launch at the end of the January. Moreover, Apple started reviewing applications for the store last month. It may need more time to get the store up and running with a number of apps that it feels comfortable offering.

Apple did not immediately respond to CNET's request for comment on when it plans to officially launch its Mac App Store. And until Apple does confirm, consider every launch-day claim, like this one, nothing more than a rumor.