Questions about table food?

Ok bear with me on his question, it takes a bit of an explanation. Since the day I started solids with my daughter she has not liked them. She hates all the purees, fruits and veggies alike. I mentioned this at a playgroup I go to and they all asked me if she would eat table food or foods like gerber puffs. I said I had never tried them because I didn't think it was time to start anything like that yet (she just turned 8 months and does not crawl although she has recently begun to make "chewing" motions and has 2 teeth and getting 2 more). Every single mom there was shocked that at 8 months she wasn't atleast eating very small pieces of gerber puffs. Then I noticed some 6 month olds that were there eating them. Am I being uptight about letting her try table foods? Do you think incoporating table foods will help her eat solids better?