Hi all.
I’m currently working on a site and I’m having trouble deciding what to do for the main navigation.
I’ve checked the browser logs for the site and its mostly IE6 (the largets chunk as you can imagine), Safari and Firefox.
The catch is that the client (as myself) is a Mac user and wants support for Mac IE5 which is worth 40 visits on an average of 6000 hits, roughly 0,7%).
I have three options:
1. what I’d really like to do is something like this: http://www.alistapart.com/d/hybrid/hybrid-3.html
  marked up using nested lists and you can still see the subnav options at a glance; works in almost all modern browsers but not in Mac IE5

2. an example of my own dropdown menu (it’s an ugly page, no CSS yet) is here: http://www.readshotel.com/ee/index.php/location/index/en/
  again marked up with nested lists, this one actually works in Mac IE5 (with the help of some Javascript) but doesn’t show the subnav options unless you hover over the main menu.

3. or I could resort to something like this: http://www.pixelsandtext.be/proposal/nav_proposal_news.html
  no fancy hover effects, but the subnav options are always visible and accessible (and it works in Mac IE5 and almost any modern browser)

I’d really like some thoughts and opinions from you guys on which option to choose

It seems like you have the opinion that matters - your client.  Do whatever supports IE 5.  I’d go with 3, personally.

I voted for 3. 

I like the hover effects on menu, and it might be something that you can move too as time passes.

I think for many users the hover menu effect actually breaks the web-paradigm of clicking (see related threads here about the publish hover menu option) to see a new menu. 

The cost of a new page load isn’t that high if you don’t ‘break’ it for usability.  As the web moves towards for CSS hover styling and browsers become more compliant, then that paradigm might change.

I also voted for 3, the less bells-and-whistles version that will satisfy your client. I’ll refrain from ranting about Microsoft dropping the ball on improving IE and leaving so many Internet users stuck in the mid-‘90s.

Yep- 3 gets my vote as well.  It works, does what it’s supposed to, looks nice.  The hover is bonus, but you lose nothing substantive without it.

3 All the way!

3!