I’ve heard Mac fans speak with trepidation about the Mac departments at CompUSA stores across the country, but the one in my backyard must be one of the exceptions to the rule.

They have a good selection of computers, peripherals and software, and the staff has always been helpful and knowledgeable. Even unexpectedly knowledgeable. The store near me has expanded its Apple staff, and on a visit a couple of months ago, I received a tidbit of information I held onto because I didn’t want to get anyone in trouble.

While at the store splurging on Mac-related paraphernalia (If I remember correctly: an Airport Extreme Base Station, an Airport card, Virtual PC and a new mouse for my Powerbook), I had a conversation with the Apple rep who was running my order through the computer. This was pre-WWDC, of course.

"So what’s going to happen at the conference in San Francisco? Are we finally going to get some faster G4s?" I asked, not expecting an answer.

"Yes, we will," the man said smiling. "Oh yes, you will."

Flabbergasted, I pried further.

"Will it be the IBM chip, the 970?"

He smiled again. "Yup."

My order was finished soon after and we exchanged our pleasantries. I kept the info under my hat and didn’t harp about it here, or even on my site, United Mac. I didn’t want to get the guy in trouble, and we try really hard not to traffic in rumors here.

But I got something else out of the experience. Much like going to a Mac user group, or even attending a Macworld conference, I felt a sense of brotherhood, a sense of community. I don’t spend a whole lot of time in the store, and I’ve never seen a Comp USA employee wooing a potential switcher. But most of the folks I’ve met there have known what they were talking about and were just as happy to meet a fellow Mac person as I was.

It’s this sense of community that will be needed as Best Buy and Apple try once more to revive their relationship.

The two parted ways several years ago after what was not the most harmonious of relationships. Who could forget the great iMac color controversy.

Maybe that’s why Apple stuck it out with CompUSA, because they didn’t seem to complain as much about the Tangerines not selling as well as the Grapes.

But in order for the alliance to work this time, Best Buy needs to learn something from Comp USA. It needs to make sure that potential Apple customers get an Apple experience, and not just a teenage salesman steering them away from the iMacs and toward the Compaqs.

No one wants them to pull it off more than me. I like going to Best Buy sometimes to buy CDs or DVDs. But I hate the fact that while I’m there, I can’t buy something for my computer other than blank CDs and speakers.

I’ll believe it when I see it. We shouldn’t get our hopes up too much. At least Apple now has its own retail stores.

In the meantime, we can at least take solace in the fact that as Mac users, we indeed sit on the right side of the fence.

If you have any doubts about this, just check out some of the other Mac news this week. It seems that MusicMatch is getting on the bandwagon full of folks mimicking Apple’s iTunes Music Store model.

I can’t comment on whether it will work, or if it will be as bad as the music store started recently by Buy.com. But I can say that I love the fact that I use products made by a company like Apple, which more often seems to "Get it" than not.

With these other guys, who unfortunately will probably be more successful just because of their chosen platform, it’s more often the other way around.