Besides the ALT button (which is annoying to have to press), and haivng to know which tab to be under (tripply annoying) there is one sanity-saving workaround when working with the tabs. If you create your own tab, and put something from every tab in it (only one thing required), then you can actually click on everything in that one tab, just like you could in WF.
okay, now that it is out there I must add...PTC Please do NOT remove this workaround functionality!!! If this was a bug, don't fix it. LET US SELECT ANYTHING on our custom tabs.
And while you are at it, stop behaving like a virus and allow us to select on object without having to be on the right!