Transistor

A transistor is a semiconductor device used to amplify or switch electronic signals and electrical power.

Background
A fundamental building block of modern electronic devices and systems. The transistor revolutionized the field of electronics and paved the way for smaller and cheaper radios, calculators, and computers. Computers in the Fallout universe are more cumbersome than the ones in our world and most still use monochromatic, text-based displays. The personal computer as it exists in our world was never fully developed due to these limitations on compactness, and some computers still exist as large mainframes that can take up whole rooms. The users access them via terminals.

Nonetheless, some mainframes are highly advanced in terms of processing power, such as those capable of running artificial intelligence. Microchips also do appear to exist and can be seen among common household items, super computers, and energy weapons alike throughout the series.

Characteristics

 * The Reavers say various statements about the transistor, including, "For the glory of the transistor!" and "Wait! Is this transistor reverse biased?"
 * The Cabot House terminal entries directly mention transistors, "I've been experimenting with some of the new transistors, and it looks possible to make a portable version of the Abremalin field generator." The Listening Post Bravo terminal entries mention a transistor radio, mentioning, "four weeks stuck in this bunker with only military rations, old magazines and a transistor radio to keep me company."
 * One of Proctor Quinlan's possible responses mentions a "transistor radio" and then states, "doubtful. I wouldn't "miss" a synth any sooner than I'd miss a transistor radio.
 * The Fallout 76 quest The Messenger requires a Memory transistor for completion. The Scoot's shack terminal entries mention a "transistor radio" manufactured by General Atomics International.

Behind the scenes
(Industry Guest: Joel Burgess From Ubisoft @1:27:30 Streamed live on Nov 4, 2016)
 * Around June 2003, a conversation ensued between developer Joshua Sawyer on the Interplay Forums and No Mutants Allowed forums. Sawyer cites examples where transistors and integrated circuits can be found in Fallout.
 * Developer Joel Burgess mentions transistors and world-building in a November 4, 2016 live stream at Florida Interactive Entertainment Academy. Joel Burgess: "So transistors are part of the canonical, like it's from Fallout 1, that culture never invented transistors and part of that influences why you see big tube things. The interfaces in Fallout 1 and 2 are engineered in a way that, in a world without transistors, still gets really advanced technology. How is their technology different, by making this one butterfly effect change? This is an argument that I had, many, many times, with people working on 3 and 4, it's like that transistor decision about the world... That rule isn't just about the mechanics of "how do I build like a fusion car without a transistor, or whatever?" What does that say about the cultural priorities of the people who live in that world? So, for instance, one of the things about the setting of Fallout, for me is miniaturization of technology - it's not a priority. Right? For us, miniaturizing is really important, but people kind of forget. It's a common thing that people who have just played Fallout lightly don't realize is like, 'Oh yeah, technology stopped in the 50s.' No, actually, technology didn't stop in the 50s, it evolved beyond what we can do right now. And there's a lot of super sci-fi stuff in there, but just the expression of it is different. The argument I would get into with people is about security cameras. Level designers were building space and put CCTV cameras all around the building and everything like "Ah, this is great." No, no, no, no, no, look, this is somebody's house. Alright, in the world of Fallout, a miniaturized camera - they exist, but it would cost like 15 million dollars. I could go to Best Buy and buy one for 15 or 150 for a whole house setup of miniaturized cameras. But in their world, a camera that's miniaturized to that extent, would be extremely exotic technology that would only be used [in] like a super-high grade military complex or government applications. For somebody's who's coming into that canon and be[ing] like "Ah, I'm gonna make a thing and I've done levels before and I used cam..." and I'm like phbt, no, no, no, no... So you have these rules about the world. And that thing about the cameras, man, I got so tired of that argument because I knew I sound[ed] like a crazy peron every time. Right? But it's just this little thing, y'know, and I was like "why [are] aluminum bottles not the primary bottles, it's like an expression of that world..."
 * In January 2018, YouTuber Matt Barton, in a personal interview, chatted with Fallout 1 and 2 developer Leonard Boyarsky. They discussed the inspirations behind the very unique 1950s sci-fi theme for Fallout and the transition into modern games. In the same discussion Boyarsky mentioned his affinity for vacuum tubes and the idea of taking into account EMP susceptibility to the team, who was receptive.
 * The item is based on the real world item of the same name, invented in 1926 by Austro-Hungarian physicist Julius Edgar Lilienfeld.