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This story was printed from silicon.com, located at http://www.silicon.com/

Story URL: http://hardware.silicon.com/desktops/0,39024645,39169801,00.htm

Photos: Modern computing balancing on the head of a pin?
What keeps hearts ticking, missiles on track and mobiles ringing?

By Nick Heath

Published: Tuesday 29 January 2008

The transistor was invented by Bell Labs scientists John Bardeen, Walter Brattain and William Shockley to replace the vacuum tube. It soon proved its worth with its ability to amplify electrical signals and to switch them on and off.

Photo credit: LSI Corporation