Transistors replaced vacuum tubes and ushered in the second generation computer.
Transistor is a device composed of semiconductor material that
amplifies a signal or opens or closes a circuit. Invented in 1947 at
Bell Labs, transistors have become the key ingredient of all digital
circuits, including computers. Today's
latest microprocessor contains tens of millions of microscopic transistors.
Prior to the invention of transistors, digital circuits were composed
of vacuum tubes, which had many disadvantages. They were much larger,
required more energy, dissipated more heat, and were more prone to
failures. It's safe to say that without the invention of transistors,
computing as we know it today would not be possible.
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