Who prefers these div's to the Tables then?

I'm still trying to get a 1.2.7 template working the same way in 1.3.1 and finding the easiest way is to create a table to control the divs.

Maybe I'm missing something but there seems to be a lack of control over where a div is going to end up on the page. the css style 'display: block' is supposed to make it act like a table, but it doesn't.

Am I alone ?