In many editors (not Vim), each file is opened in a new tab, and one tab can show only one file, and one file cannot appear in more than one tab. Vim's tab pages do not have these limitations, and tabs are a convenient way to organize your work. See Quick tips for using tab pages for examples of how tabs can be used to their full potential. An alternative to one file per tab is to learn to use the 'hidden' option combined with efficient use of the buffer list via a plugin such as FuzzyFinder, LustyExplorer or BufExplorer.