dim123 0 Newbie Poster

Hey guys, building a website and having some compatibility troubles.
The website shows up fine in Firefox and safari, but in Internet
explorer there is roughly a 10 px gap to where the left side bar
starts.
Thanks in advance
here is the site:
www.guillotine.net.au/nova-comm/home.html
Here is the code:

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http:// 
www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"> 
<html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"> 
<head> 
<meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" /> 
<title>Nova-Comm :: Welcome</title> 
<style type="text/css"> 
<!-- 
body  { 
        margin: 0; /* it's good practice to zero the margin and padding of 
the body element to account for differing browser defaults */ 
        padding: 0; 
        text-align: left; /* this centers the container in IE 5* browsers. 
The text is then set to the left aligned default in the #container 
selector */ 
        color: #000000; 
        font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; 
        font-size: 100%; 
        top: 280px; 
        background-color: #CCCCCC; 
        background-image: url(images/background.png); 
        background-repeat: repeat-y; 
        background-position: center; 
} 

.thrColFixHdr #container { 
        width: 780px; 
        margin: 0 auto; 
        text-align: left; /* this overrides the text-align: center on the 
body element. */ 
        background-color: #FFFFFF; 
        background-repeat: no-repeat; 
        background-position: left top; 
        vertical-align: top; 
} 

.thrColFixHdr #header { 
        height: 305px; 
        background-color: #CCCCCC; 
} 

.thrColFixHdr #header h1 { 
        margin: 0; /* zeroing the margin of the last element in the #header 
div will avoid margin collapse - an unexplainable space between divs. 
If the div has a border around it, this is not necessary as that also 
avoids the margin collapse */ 
        padding: 10px 0; /* using padding instead of margin will allow you to 
keep the element away from the edges of the div */ 
} 

.thrColFixHdr #sidebar1 { 
        float: left; /* since this element is floated, a width must be given 
*/ 
        width: 220px; 
} 

.thrColFixHdr #sidebar2 { 
        float: right; /* since this element is floated, a width must be given 
*/ 
        width: 180px; /* the actual width of this div, in standards-compliant 
browsers, or standards mode in Internet Explorer will include the 
padding and border in addition to the width */ 
        background: 000000; /* padding keeps the content of the div away from 
the edges */ 
        top: 290px; 
} 

.thrColFixHdr #mainContent { 
        margin-top: 0; 
        margin-right: 185px; 
        margin-bottom: 0; 
        margin-left: 225px; 
        padding-top: 0; 
        padding-bottom: 0; 
} 

.thrColFixHdr #footer { 
        padding: 20px 10px 0 20px; 
        height: 30px; 
        background-color: #999999; 
} 

.thrColFixHdr #footer p { 
        margin: 0; /* zeroing the margins of the first element in the footer 
will avoid the possibility of margin collapse - a space between divs 
*/ 
        padding: 10px 0; /* padding on this element will create space, just 
as the the margin would have, without the margin collapse issue */ 
} 

.fltrt { /* this class can be used to float an element right in your 
page. The floated element must precede the element it should be next 
to on the page. */ 
        float: right; 
        margin-left: 8px; 
} 

.fltlft { /* this class can be used to float an element left in your 
page */ 
        float: left; 
        margin-right: 8px; 
} 

.clearfloat { /* this class should be placed on a div or break element 
and should be the final element before the close of a container that 
should fully contain a float */ 
        clear:both; 
    height:0; 
    font-size: 1px; 
    line-height: 0px; 
} 

.style1 {       font-size: x-large; 
        font-family: Helvetica, "Helvetica 45 Light", "Helvetica 65 Medium", 
"Helvetica 75 Bold", "Helvetica Neue", "Helvetica Neue Black 
Condensed", "HelveticaNeue BoldCond", "Helvetica Neue Bold Condensed", 
"HelveticaNeue Condensed", "Helvetica Neue Light", "HelveticaNeue 
LightCond", Helvetic; 
} 

.style2 {font-size: large; font-family: Helvetica, "Helvetica 45 
Light", "Helvetica 65 Medium", "Helvetica 75 Bold", "Helvetica Neue", 
"Helvetica Neue Black Condensed", "HelveticaNeue BoldCond", "Helvetica 
Neue Bold Condensed", "HelveticaNeue Condensed", "Helvetica Neue 
Light", "HelveticaNeue LightCond", Helvetic; } 
.style3 {       font-size: large; 
        color: #333333; 
} 

.style4 {       font-size: small; 
        font-family: Helvetica, "Helvetica 45 Light", "Helvetica 65 Medium", 
"Helvetica 75 Bold", "Helvetica Neue", "Helvetica Neue Black 
Condensed", "HelveticaNeue BoldCond", "Helvetica Neue Bold Condensed", 
"HelveticaNeue Condensed", "Helvetica Neue Light", "HelveticaNeue 
LightCond", Helvetic; 
        color: #333333; 
} 

.style7 {       font-size: x-small 
} 

.style9 {       color: #333333; 
        font-weight: bold; 
} 

.style13 {font-size: xx-small} 
.thrColFixHdr #container #mainContent .style4 img { 
        float: right; 
} 

.thrColFixHdr #container #mainContent .style4 img { 
} 

.thrColFixHdr #container #mainContent .style4 img { 
} 

.thrColFixHdr #container #mainContent .style4 img { 
} 

.thrColFixHdr #container #mainContent .style4 img { 
} 

.style17 {font-size: 11.5px; font-family: Helvetica, "Helvetica 45 
Light", "Helvetica 65 Medium", "Helvetica 75 Bold", "Helvetica Neue", 
"Helvetica Neue Black Condensed", "HelveticaNeue BoldCond", "Helvetica 
Neue Bold Condensed", "HelveticaNeue Condensed", "Helvetica Neue 
Light", "HelveticaNeue LightCond", Helvetic; color: #333333; } 
.thrColFixHdr #container #mainContent .style17 img { 
        float: left; 
} 

.style18 { 
        font-size: 11.5px; 
        font-weight: bold; 
} 

.style19 {      font-size: 7px; 
        color: #FFFFFF; 
} 

a:link { 
        color: #000000; 
        text-decoration: none; 
} 

a:visited { 
        text-decoration: none; 
        color: #000000; 
} 

a:hover { 
        text-decoration: none; 
} 

a:active { 
        text-decoration: none; 
} 

.thrColFixHdr #container #sidebar2 img { 
        float: right; 
} 

.style44 {color: #FFCC00} 
.style47 {font-family: Helvetica, "Helvetica 45 Light", "Helvetica 65 
Medium", "Helvetica 75 Bold", "Helvetica Neue", "Helvetica Neue Black 
Condensed", "HelveticaNeue BoldCond", "Helvetica Neue Bold Condensed", 
"HelveticaNeue Condensed", "Helvetica Neue Light", "HelveticaNeue 
LightCond", Helvetic} 
.style48 {color: #333333; font-weight: bold; font-size: 13px;} 
.style51 { 
        color: #FFFFFF; 
        font-weight: bold; 
        font-size: 12px; 
} 

.style52 {font-size: 14px} 
.style53 { 
        font-family: Helvetica, "Helvetica 45 Light", "Helvetica 65 Medium", 
"Helvetica 75 Bold", "Helvetica Neue", "Helvetica Neue Black 
Condensed", "HelveticaNeue BoldCond", "Helvetica Neue Bold Condensed", 
"HelveticaNeue Condensed", "Helvetica Neue Light", "HelveticaNeue 
LightCond", Helvetic; 
        font-size: 10px; 
} 

.style54 {font-size: 9px} 
.style55 {font-family: Helvetica, "Helvetica 45 Light", "Helvetica 65 
Medium", "Helvetica 75 Bold", "Helvetica Neue", "Helvetica Neue Black 
Condensed", "HelveticaNeue BoldCond", "Helvetica Neue Bold Condensed", 
"HelveticaNeue Condensed", "Helvetica Neue Light", "HelveticaNeue 
LightCond", Helvetic; font-size: 9px; } 
.style56 { 
        color: #CC0000; 
        font-weight: bold; 
        font-size: 8px; 
} 

.style57 { 
        font-size: 8px; 
        font-weight: bold; 
} 

#apDiv1 { 
        position:absolute; 
        left:226px; 
        top:46px; 
        width:781px; 
        height:1156px; 
        z-index:1; 
} 

#apDiv2 { 
        position:absolute; 
        left:230px; 
        top:41px; 
        width:38px; 
        height:41px; 
        z-index:1; 
} 

#apDiv3 { 
        position:absolute; 
        left:231px; 
        top:41px; 
        width:779px; 
        height:1143px; 
        z-index:1; 
        background-image: url(images/background.png); 
        background-repeat: repeat-y; 
        background-position: center center; 
} 

.style15 {font-size: 7px} 
--> 
</style> 
<!--[if IE 5]> 
<style type="text/css"> 
/* place css box model fixes for IE 5* in this conditional comment */ 
.thrColFixHdr #sidebar1 { width: 180px; } 
.thrColFixHdr #sidebar2 { width: 190px; } 
</style> 
<![endif]--><!--[if IE]> 
<style type="text/css"> 
/* place css fixes for all versions of IE in this conditional comment 
*/ 
.thrColFixHdr #sidebar2, .thrColFixHdr #sidebar1 { padding-top: 
30px; } 
.thrColFixHdr #mainContent { zoom: 1; } 
/* the above proprietary zoom property gives IE the hasLayout it needs 
to avoid several bugs */ 
</style> 
<![endif]--></head> 
<body class="thrColFixHdr"> 
<div id="container"> 
  <div id="header"> 
    <h1><img src="images/heading.jpg" width="780" height="295" 
border="0" usemap="#Map" /> 
<map name="Map" id="Map"> 
  <area shape="rect" coords="173,196,281,223" href="home.html" /> 
<area shape="rect" coords="280,195,356,223" href="about_us.html" /> 
<area shape="rect" coords="355,196,433,222" href="home_theatre.html" / 

<area shape="rect" coords="433,195,506,223" 
href="multi_room_audio.html" /> 
<area shape="rect" coords="658,196,737,221" href="contact_us.html" /> 
<area shape="rect" coords="506,195,583,224" 
href="boardroom_fitouts.html" /> 
<area shape="rect" coords="581,195,660,223" href="#" /></map></h1> 
  <!-- end #header --></div> 
  <div class="style47" id="sidebar1"><img src="images/leftpanel.jpg" 
width="225" height="500" /><br /> 
  </div> 
  <div id="sidebar2"> 
    <div align="right"><!-- end #sidebar2 --> 
      <div align="left"><img src="images/rightpanel.jpg" alt="" 
width="180" height="565" /><br /> 
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      </div> 
    </div> 
  </div> 
  <div id="mainContent"> 
    <h1 class="style2">Welcome to NovaComm.<br /> 
    </h1> 
    <h1 class="style1"><span class="style3">We take all the drama out 
of Home Theatre to make optimising your entertaiment easy.</span><br / 

    </h1> 
    <p class="style4">Our range of specialties include installing 
complete wireless or hidden-wiring home theatre and boardroom set-ups, 
multi-room audio amps and HiFi speakers, projectors, media centres, 
<br /> 
    C-bus automation, linking and programming clutter-busting all-in- 
one ‘smart remotes’, and optimisation of your existing system. </p> 
    <p class="style4">We also supply and install quality entertainment 
components like Blue-Ray and Hi-Def DVD players/recorders, Plasma 
&amp; LCD TVs, digital antennas, surround sound speakers. You won’t 
find any dodgy ‘made-up’ brand names either. NovaComm only deal with 
reputable big brands like Sony, Yamaha, Bose, Panasonic, Philips, 
Samsung and other trusted manufacturers. </p> 
    <p class="style4">Nova Comm has just completed a new, 
comprehensive display showroom in Dural, Sydney that lets you test- 
drive a variety of different systems to help you gain a greater 
understanding of the latest technologies available. So you can choose 
the right system to suit your tastes and needs.</p> 
    <p class="style4">We satisfy the demanding requirements of both 
the serious enthusiast and those who simply want the best system 
within a budget. Best of all, our experts are fully trained and really 
know what they’re doing, so you can leave all the hard work to us, 
safe in the knowledge we provide a 100% quality satisfaction 
guarantee, backed by reliable after-sales service, on every project we 
work on.</p> 
    <p class="style4">What’s more, everything NovaComm does is always 
at a very competitive price. So you get the best technology and the 
best results, for less than you’d expect.</p> 
    <p class="style17"><span class="style18">We specialise in:</ 
span><br /> 
      <br /> 
      <strong>Home Theatre systems</strong><br /> 
      <img src="images/divider.jpg" width="354" height="10" /><br /> 
        <strong>Multi-room surround-sound audio</strong><br /> 
        <img src="images/divider.jpg" width="354" height="10" /><br /> 
        <strong>Boardroom Fit-outs and media centres</strong><br /> 
        <img src="images/divider.jpg" alt="" width="354" height="10" / 
><br /> 

        <strong>All in One 'smart' remote controller<br /> 
      </strong><br /> 
      <br /> 
</p> 
<p align="left" class="style4"><br /> 
    <br /> 
</p> 
  </div> 
  <!-- This clearing element should immediately follow the 
#mainContent div in order to force the #container div to contain all 
child floats --><br class="clearfloat" /> 
  <div id="footer"> 
    <div align="center"><span class="style7"><span 
class="style9"><span class="style15">All content © Copyright of Nova 
Comm Pty Ltd |</span> </span><span class="style15"><strong><a 
href="javascript:void(window.open 
('privacy.html','newWin','resizable=1,status=1,scrollbars=1,width=550,heigh t=400,top=200,left=200'))">Privacy 
Statement</a> | <a href="site_map.html">Site Map</a></strong></span> 
<span class="style19"> <a href="www.guillotine.net.au">Site designed 
by Guillotine Creative Executions</a></span></span></div> 
  </div> 
<!-- end #container --></div> 
</body> 
</html>