Tables

[robert mcgonegal]

What I most appreciate about Markdown is it's simplicity. The ability  
to handle basic tables would be nice but only if the formatting is  
simpler and easier to both read and write than HTML. The extra typing  
required by HTML is no more tedious IMO than fussing over tabbed or  
spaced words trying to align them with | vertical piping | on both  
sides.

Anyone can see what's below is meant to be a simple table. What is  
the absolute minimum coding Markdown would need to figure this out?  
Is it possible that rows and cells wouldn't need explicit delimiters,  
and that irregular white space could be compacted and deciphered into  
td's?

Historical Analysis
-----------------------------
Widget                    %        Price
=====================
Windows Vista        87%    $12.99
-----------------------------
Mac OS X 10.4.3    12%     $87.50
----------------------------
Linux                    8%       $14.34
----------------------------

eg.
<Text>------<Text>=====<Text> = <table><tr><th><Text> etc.

Robert McGonegal