It's all about content vs. layout - with tables they are one and the same and with tableless they are not. Since content should not be the same as layout tableless is the way to go.
Since content is seperated from layout with tableless coding re-designs, (complete and partial), are a lot simpler. As a small example of partial re-design ease through the use of tableless CSS for layout rather than tables I, along with a colleague, have recently implemented a project called SPLAT! at work. Javascript, CSS, XHTML, and design by me, Java, Oracle DB work, XML, XSL, and Javascript from my colleague. The project creates numerous database entries and .js files to create the XHTML for the Splat!s.
Since launching the project there have been several design re-workings, (at the request of other's in the organization, eventually returning to my original design), that have been more easily implemented through my pre-planning with tableless XHTML/CSS meaning that the only parts I had to change were the actual images used and the CSS controlling them. If we had gone with an old-school table-based-layout then every .js file, and several XSLs would have had to change.
Tableless is better for bandwidth, load times, accessibility, SEO, (and pay scales
).
JUST SAY NO!
www.tableless.ws (i really should do something more with that).
FWIW I still use tables for layout of HTML e-mails as it is the best way to retain cross-platform reliability - heck I even still use the font-tag with these - but there is no need to use tables for browser based compatibility as anything that can be attained with tables can be equally attained without them in the major browsers.