Tables vs CSS

In response to an email I recently received, I was asked my opinion about this article: http://www.decloak.com/Dev/CSSTables/CSS_Tables_01.aspx

There is a lot to be said about this subject (as seen by searching Google http://www.google.com/search?q=tables+vs+css ).

The writer brings up a few valuable points, such as Microsoft’s incompetence when it comes to making IE8 worth using.

Some things that made me laugh;
The article refers to Netscape 7 and IE6 as ‘new’.
It mentions IE7 and IE8 (but sounds like they are referring to them in a future tense).

In general this article is basically saying ‘if Microsoft doesn’t conform then neither should web developers’ and specifically states that the W3 standards aren’t worth our time.

There are a few things to consider on that note;
Microsoft is slowly loosing users to Apple (I hate to admit it).
Internet Explorer sucks, but it is used by many, however that number is also decreasing slowly as FireFox and other browsers chip away at it’s population.
IE8 began compliance with standards because they realized how terrible they were doing, they still aren’t perfect, but at least they admit they were wrong and are trying to fix it.

While I will agree that tables have some use (like to make a spreadsheet on a page, or to handle certain scenarios where CSS code would overlap itself to accomplish the same thing) in general tables are a bad thing.

Also, as illustrated by a Google research http://code.google.com/webstats/2005-12/tables.html tables are most commonly used incorrectly and/or for the wrong reasons.
The author seems to claim that when used for the right reasons tables are better than CSS, which in some [very rare] cases is true.

Another note would be found directly on the W3′s website (they created HTML, they get to make the rules)

http://www.w3.org/TR/WCAG10-HTML-TECHS/#tables

They specifically say, DO NOT USE TABLES FOR LAYOUTS.

I do use tables from time to time. the Integris websites (marketing/hosting) have one table each to keep things organized. but whenever possible, I try to use CSS as it is the recommendation of both the code and browser developers (as a majority), as well as the W3.

These are just my opinions, and the above is (almost) a direct copy of the email response I sent.