This seems like something that would be held up as an example of why programmers shouldn't do the UI but I think I'd hold it up as an example of why they should

This seems like something that would be held up as an example of why programmers shouldn't do the UI but I think I'd hold it up as an example of why they should. Those buttons along the top look like an early implementation of tabs or a stack switcher that are common today. The search interface doesn't infantalize the user. I bet if you changed the windows theme it would match as well.