Ok, making some progress...
when I use this code:
<form>
<input type="button" value=" View Template "onclick="window.open(\'https://midwestapplianceparts.com/midtest/index.php?main_page=popup_shipping_estimator\',\'mywindow\',\'scrollbars=yes,menubar=0,resizable=1,toolbar=no,width=780,height=590\')">
</form>
it works, but it is a form button
so then I try to change it to an image submit and I use this:
<form>
<input type="image" src="images/shipest.jpg" name="submit" value=" View Template "onclick="window.open(\'https://midwestapplianceparts.com/midtest/index.php?main_page=popup_shipping_estimator\',\'mywindow\',\'scrollbars=yes,menubar=0,resizable=1,toolbar=no,width=780,height=590\')">
</form>
it works too... pops the window like I want... but...
when you roll over the image it shows the url of the page it is on and then goes there after you click...
so it pops the window and then changes the current window too...
very strange... any ideas?