stating the dot point would be good
straight from notes :
Shortcomings and limitations in communication technology before the invention of the transistor lead to an increased knowledge of the properties of materials and thus lead to its invention.
In the early 1900s, the main means of communication were horses. This was very, very slow so a better means of communication must be developed to keep up with the international and social demand for faster communication. This led to the invention of the radio and the telephone. During the development of those devices, the knowledge of the properties of such materials as copper (in wires) and materials used to make vacuum tubes increased. However in the 1950s their limitations were realized. Using vacuum tubes meant that long distance communication was not possible and portable communication devices were still as big as an encyclopedia. This shortcoming led scientists to develop a superior form of rectifier, switch or amplifier and thereby increasing their knowledge about semi-conducting materials including both Germanium and Silicon. It also increased knowledge about the effects of doping a semiconductor material and the properties that these materials have when placed together. This led to the invention of the transistor which was smaller, more efficient, and stronger than the vacuum tube. Now long distance communication and portability is possible with the transistor.
If there were no shortcomings with communication technology than our knowledge about materials such as copper, silicon, germanium and many more materials would be very limited.
