Tables are not bad and I know one extremely skillful designer who uses table/div layouts about 50/50.
There are two distinctly different "css" methods to layout--floats and absolute positioning, so you have three options:
1. tables
2. abolute positioning
3. float positioning
You can use all three methods on the same layout. The important thing is to understand the strengths and weaknessess of each method so that you can apply the right tool for the job.
I generally use floats and use the other two only where I need their particular qualities/features. Tables are often the best method where you want things arranged in a grid (often, but not always).
