So, Photoshop CS4's tabs feature can be both helpful & annoying at the same time, depending on your workflow and needs. Whether they work for you or not, is your preference. Either way, here's how to turn them off in Mac or Windows:
In Mac OSX:
- Go to ‘Photoshop’ –> ‘Preferences’ –> ‘Interface’
- Uncheck the ‘Open Documents as Tabs’ option
In Windows:
- Go to ‘Edit’ –> ‘Preferences’ –> ‘Interface’
- Uncheck the ‘Open Documents as Tabs’ option