Tabs are, by far, much easier to read than music. I don't know how many times i've heard good guitarists say they don't read music. They either play by ear (very gifted in my opinion) or learn by tablature (most players). I guess a "good" musician is well rounded in all aspects, reading sheet music, intonation, application. The facts for me are that i'm 45 years old, it will take many years to train my ears for "ear playing", and the quickest route is by tablature, which, i consider to be cheating to some degree. I have an old guitar instruction book, that has the chords in musical notation on the staff, no tab at all. I know for a fact, that since i've been spoiled by tabs, that it would take much longer to learn how to play solely by music notation. It takes my brain awhile to make the connection to a notes on the staff, and apply each one to a chord. Show me a chord diagram, and some tabs, and i will learn it that way.