Let's face it: Apple's relationship with national retail chains has always been at least mildly dysfunctional, and occasionally it teeters precariously on the verge of outright psychosis. Way back in the "scary days," display-model Performas in Sears and Best Buy were neglected, abused, ridiculed, and served more to dissuade potential Mac purchasers than to entice them. So when Steve retook the helm, we can't say we were surprised when he severed ties with all national retailers except for CompUSA; more than anything, we suppose we were mildly puzzled that CompUSA made the cut, even with the "store-within-a-store" deal, because some CompUSAs are about as Mac-friendly as a coked-up Bill Gates tripping on his mammoth and chemically-enhanced ego. (Note: the preceding simile was used for dramatic effect only, and is in no way meant to be construed as a serious claim that Bill Gates' mammoth ego is the result of illegal drug use.)

Anyway, the CompUSA partnership turned out to be at least mildly worthwhile, and after the iMac captured the hearts and minds of consumers across the globe, it's no surprise that Sears and Best Buy came crawling back. So far, Sears' performance has been lackluster at best-- they've broadcast one TV ad for the iMac, which was great, but the iMac presence in Sears' Sunday newspaper circulars has been limited to two measly appearances, and we're hearing rumors that iMac sales at Sears have been absolutely abysmal. And the Best Buy re-alliance was, as you know, a complete and utter disaster. As reports stacked up describing Best Buy sales personnel openly ridiculing iMac-interested customers, the corporate end wasn't too helpful either. First they panicked when they didn't see iMacs flying off the shelves (um, maybe they should have asked their sales folks why...) and lowered the price to well below Apple's minimum advertised price, prompting widespread reseller panic. Later on, they threw a snit fit when the iMac came in five colors, and rather than stock all five, they decided to stop selling the iMac altogether. Welcome to Splitsville-- again.

But wouldja believe Apple and Best Buy are about to give it yet another try? At least, that's the hot rumor amid all the Kihei stuff floating around; the reason that the "low-end" Kihei is only available in Blueberry is reportedly so that Best Buy will actually agree to stock it. So there's a chance that once the new iMacs start shipping, consumers will be able to buy sub-$1000 Blueberry iMacs in Best Buy. What do you think-- third time's the charm?