Pages break in AOL 9.0

[tigerflag]

My site's pages are written in HTML 4.01 Strict, XHTML 1.0 Strict and Transitional. All pass validation with no errors.

I've checked my pages in many browsers for Linux, Mac and Windows. They're perfect EXCEPT for AOL 9.0.

In AOL 9.0, the left navigation column gets pushed down to the bottom of the page. This only happens in pages that use simple data tables (I don't use nested tables for layout). Pages that are just written articles without tables are fine.

I once tried using a .productBox to highlight items, similar to a .blockquote. The pages broke the same way in AOL.

I am worn out trying to find the cause.

Does anybody know what percentage of people use AOL 9.0? (I'm almost ready to sacrifice them for the good of everyone else, but I hate to lose ANY customers.)

Thanks

[SanDiegoPaul]

< The following 4 messages were spliced on to this thread from another location >

I just completed a club website and got lots of kudo's for my work ... until today.

The people in the group that use AOL complain that the site needs scrolling to the right, to see all of the content.

What can ya do to make sure that AOL users are not alienated?

[edited by: tedster at 9:18 am (utc) on Dec. 18, 2006]

[penders]

Do AOL users have a particularly narrow browser window?!

[SanDiegoPaul]

The actual website you are viewing, appears within the AOL browser amid ads, offers, and other AOL stuff.

[jessejump]

The site would have to be made narrower pixel-wise or percentage-based width.

[encyclo]

AOL uses the default version of Internet Explorer for rendering pages, so the issues you experience are related to screen real-estate which in AOL is eaten up by other features, leaving a particularly narrow window.

The ideal solution is to have a fluid layout which can contract down to the size often encountered by AOL users - which can be as low as 650 to 700 pixels. Otherwise, floated elements can drop down below others, or you can get side-scroll for a fixed-width design.