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I've been asked some of those questions at other top-tier tech companies (that the author isn't criticizing).

Conducting good interviews is hard. Watching someone attack a problem or write some whiteboard code is a not-bad system. Pick a problem that's too small or familiar and you're not filtering enough. Pick problems that are too hard or long and nobody will succeed. It's a balancing act.

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I don't know about you, but writing code standing up at a whiteboard while others watch just doesn't feel very natural to me.

Why not give them a PC and a small development task and leave them alone for a bit and then talk over their solution once it is complete?

It's a good idea, and I think it would make an excellent supplement to current interview practices. There would be some difficult logistical issues: Unfamiliar dev environment, etc. It wouldn't replace whiteboard coding, since you lose the ability to test for culture fit, give hints, examine thought process, ask about small decisions, get a gut check and other aspects of whiteboard coding that have nothing to do with the specific question asked.

Some companies ask for a small code sample "that you're proud of" in advance of onsite interviews, I think that's another good practice.

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