Mac vs Windows tables problem

i am running 2.2.9

in windows my index pages shows the tables the way i want like this:


but in my Mac (running OS9 via IE5) it shows up like this:


my forumhome_forumbit_level1_nopost template is:

</table>
</td></tr></table>
<table cellpadding="{tableouterborderwidth}" cellspacing="0" border="0" {tableouterextra} width="{contenttablewidth}" 

align="center"><tr><td>
<table align="center" width="100%" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" border="0">
<TR>
		<TD WIDTH="47">
			<IMG SRC="{imagesfolder}/cat_bot_left.gif" WIDTH=47 HEIGHT=20 ALT="" BORDER=0></TD>
		<TD COLSPAN=4 background="{imagesfolder}/cat_bot_bg.gif"></TD>
		<TD WIDTH="26">
			<IMG SRC="{imagesfolder}/cat_bot_right.gif" WIDTH=26 HEIGHT=20 ALT="" BORDER=0></TD>
	</TR>
<tr>
	<td width="47">&nbsp;</td>
	<td></td>
	<td width="26"></td>
</tr>
<tr>
</tr>
<TR>
		<TD><IMG SRC="{imagesfolder}/cat_top_left.gif" WIDTH=47 HEIGHT=40 ALT=""></TD>
		<TD id="cat" background="{imagesfolder}/cat_top_bg.gif" COLSPAN=4><a 
href="forumdisplay.php?s=$session[sessionhash]&forumid=$forum[forumid]"><normalfont 
color="{categoryfontcolor}"><b>$forum[title]</b></normalfont></a></TD>
		<TD><IMG SRC="{imagesfolder}/cat_top_right.gif" WIDTH=26 HEIGHT=40 ALT=""></TD>
</TR>

</table>
<table bgcolor="{tablebordercolor}" cellpadding="4" cellspacing="{tableinnerborderwidth}" border="0" {tableinnerextra} width="100%">
<TR align="center">
		<TD background="{imagesfolder}/cat_texthead_bg.gif" bgcolor="{tableheadbgcolor}"><smallfont>&nbsp;</smallfont></TD>
		<TD background="{imagesfolder}/cat_texthead_bg.gif" bgcolor="{tableheadbgcolor}" align="left"><smallfont color="{tableheadtextcolor}"><b>Forum</b></smallfont></TD>
		<TD background="{imagesfolder}/cat_texthead_bg.gif" bgcolor="{tableheadbgcolor}"><smallfont color="{tableheadtextcolor}"><b>Posts</b></smallfont></td></TD>
		<TD background="{imagesfolder}/cat_texthead_bg.gif" bgcolor="{tableheadbgcolor}"><smallfont color="{tableheadtextcolor}"><b>Threads</b></smallfont></TD>
		<TD background="{imagesfolder}/cat_texthead_bg.gif" bgcolor="{tableheadbgcolor}" COLSPAN=2><smallfont color="{tableheadtextcolor}"><b>Last Post</b></smallfont></TD>
	</TR>

and my forumhome_forumbit_level1_post template is:

<tr align="center">
	<td bgcolor="{firstaltcolor}" align="left">
	<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" border="0"><tr>
		<td valign="top"><img src="{imagesfolder}/$forum[onoff].gif" border="0" alt=""></td>
		<td><img src="{imagesfolder}/clear.gif" width="9" height="0" border="0" alt=""></td>
		<td><a href="forumdisplay.php?s=$session[sessionhash]&forumid=$forum[forumid]"><normalfont><b>$forum[title]</b></normalfont></a>
		<br><smallfont>$forum[description]</smallfont></td>
	</tr></table>
	</td>
	<td bgcolor="{secondaltcolor}"><normalfont>$forum[replycount]</normalfont></td>
	<td bgcolor="{firstaltcolor}"><normalfont>$forum[threadcount]</normalfont></td>
	<td bgcolor="{secondaltcolor}"><smallfont>$forum[lastpostinfo]</smallfont></td>
</tr>

any ideas on why the difference?
my eyes are strained from looking so maybe a fresh pair of eyes might help.

thanks,
ant.