Ever since the point contact transistor was announced by the Bell Telephone Laboratories in 1948, a considerable effort has been directed toward the improvement of transistor manufacturing and circuit design techniques. As a result, the transistor has now evolved to a point where it is suitable for many applications, both as a direct replacement for and as a supplement to electron tubes.

That the transistor caused an immediate and intense interest in the electronic field is not difficult to understand. Here is a device which acts like a triode, yet together with its protective housing is smaller than a jelly-bean. It requires little power, no warm-up time, is extremely rugged, promises indefinite life, and in addition, has certain unique characteristics which make it suitable for many novel applications.

The superiority of the transistor over the electron tube in applications where miniaturization of space and power requirements are primary factors has already been established. Transistor hearing aids and car radios that operate directly from a battery supply are typical applications. The RCA Princeton Laboratories built and demonstrated a completely transistorized television set some time ago. There is no doubt that everyone connected with the electronic arts will have to meet this latest addition to the family — the transistor.