Greg Mayman wrote in a message to Roy J. Tellason:

 -=> Roy J. Tellason said to Greg Mayman
 -=> about "*BIG* TRANSISTORS" on 01-14-04  04:06.....

 RJT> I've seen that on some data sheets.  I also remember some germanium
 RJT> parts being particularly pitiful when it came to their specs.  It's

 GM> Yes, I remember germanium power transistors as being about the
 GM> worst in that respect.

 GM> And terribly expensive! The first transistor radio I saw in the
 GM> early to mid 1950s, was handmade by the owner and used six
 GM> germanium transistors that cost 39s 6d each, the equivalent of
 GM> $3.95, which would be about $80-$100 each in today's money when you
 GM> allowed for inflation!

I can still remember the first radio *I* built,  used a 2N107 or somesuch. 
On a board,  which I'd painted blue...

 RJT> amazing they even bothered to sell such stuff.  :-)

 GM> When there is nothing else, you use what you can get. Nowadays we
 GM> are thoroughly spoiled with the availability of high performance
 GM> parts at relatively speaking VERY low cost!

You'll get no argument from me on that!  :-)

 RJT> I would tend to go toward a higher-rated part that wouldn't be pushed
 RJT> so close to saturation,  but then I don't tend to try and operate much

 GM> If you want to realize the maximum performance from power 
 GM> amplifiers, you need to go pretty close to saturation, which
 GM> happens to coincide with maximum current in the particular 
 GM> transistor.

I guess.  But these days I'm satisfied with a lot more modest operation of
things than I would have been years ago.  A few watts of audio power is
more than enough for me.  :-)

 GM> OTOH with transistors and other components so cheap today, you can
 GM> always run the outputs WAY under their limits.

Just so.

 GM> But back in the early 60's when you paid lots of bickies for stuff
 GM> with specs that we'd sneer at today, you had to get
 GM> as much as possible out of what you could afford.

I guess.

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