Andy Piper <andy(a)xemacs.org&gt; writes in xemacs-beta(a)xemacs.org: In both of the examples I posted earlier, the tabs represented buffers not mapped to any window. In this buffer I'm now writing in, there are two tabs `*sent mail to xemacs-review(a)xemacs.org*&#39; and `*send mail*<3>' both of which are buffers that have been buried and will never see the light of a window again until I start housecleaning and deleting old unused buffers via the C-x C-b buffer menu. If what I've been experiencing in the past week or so is required by the metaphor, then it is completely and totally broken and we probably should remove this feature now. I don't like metaphors that don't make any sense in the context they are used in. http://www.iarchitect.com/mshame.htm