Not sure that your example proves that YC is no longer interested in RFS #5. I think RFS# 5 covers companies that could be huge, but I'm not convinced that I would ever want to code on a tablet.

RFS #5 has nothing to do with the essay linked. See http://ycombinator.com/rfs.html for all the "Request for Startups" bullet points.

Personally, I think it's a dumb RFS to begin with. From a professional standpoint, I couldn't handle developing on anything else but two 24+ inch monitors (if not three) and a mechanical keyboard.

Not that I couldn't do it on a laptop or tablet, it just makes me about 300x more productive -- and that's what matters.

I don't think thats the point.

It should be possible to code on a tablet because thats the device most kids will have access to as their first computer.

My first (and most people on HN) computer I turned it on and the OS simply waited for me to give it an instruction.

That is important in lots of ways, not just in the IPO in two years ways.

There would definitely be some pains going from huge monitors to a small tablet. The bigger side of our plan was that it wouldn't just be possible to develop from a tablet, but really, from anywhere. Develop iPhone apps on your Windows box, or Chromebook, for example.

I think that in the future it might be possible that developing on a tablet might just mean hooking your tablet or other sub $300 device up to two 24+ inch monitors. Think developing iPhone apps from a $25 Raspberry Pi, thanks to the cloud :-)

>I'm not convinced that I would ever want to code on a tablet.

Well when I type on a on a 10 inch tab - two thoughts cross my head A) This is not working B) This could work given a bit more size and refinement.

So I would not discount tablets as dev devices. Perhaps not as a hardcore workstation, but as a starbucks dev station sure - soon.

You shouldn't have to use a QWERTY-like keyboard to enter text into a tablet. The very idea of a flat space with a list of letters which has you individually selecting letters (or moving your finger around on a full list of letters) is a huge waste of space on an already small screen.

>You shouldn't have to use a QWERTY-like keyboard to enter text into a tablet

Why not - If I can smoothly transfer touch typing skills then thats a pretty big win.

> huge waste of space on an already small screen.

Hence my comment about slightly larger screen. I can almost touch type on a 10 inch...bit more and it could work. The capacitative aspect might even work better than a physical keyboard for "touch" typing.

> Well when I type on a on a 10 inch tab - two thoughts cross my head A) This is not working B) This could work given a bit more size and refinement.

A bit more size and refinement, a nice keyboard, and a stand gets you a 11-12" laptop.

>gets you a 11-12" laptop.

No it doesn't. No hinge & typing space is also display space under some conditions e.g. browsing.

I'd classify those under "refinements" ;)

Its a different form factor...especially the no hinge part.

I could see it with a graphical programming language -- one where a FOR loop is a large box into which you'd drag other commands, where each variable and equation is an icon you drag out from the side. Almost like a physics flash game.

We mostly expected people to attach a bluetooth keyboard to their tablet or phone. For people who insisted on using a touch screen, we were working on a graphical context sensitive system like you describe -- except for existing languages (Objective-C)... because nobody wants to keep tapping semicolons and parenthesis :-)

Something like http://scratch.mit.edu/ ?

What if the tablet was as big as a desk? or I saw a demo of some microsoft tech where the monitor level was transparent and you could reach behind it and interact with 3d objects.

Sounds to me like they're very interested in funding RFS5 and that they were grilling you to see your response. Were you exhilarated and raving about all the advantages in a confident, persuasive manner, or did you stumble on why you might even want such a thing yourself?

It's possible. The given reason for our rejection was the market size for our product. Really, we were caught heavily off guard by having to explain why it would be useful. We thought, "It's an RFS, so they already know it could be huge!" and spent zero time thinking about it.

Full disclosure: Our demo and Altair BASIC was a way to develop native iPhone apps in the cloud. We wanted to expand to Android apps, and eventually be a general cloud compile/debug/run service.

Having to explain why something could be "huge" shows how well you understand the market.