https://www.allaboutcircuits.com/news/how-two-motorola-transistors-became-the-worlds-default-npns/
Article
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2N2222 and 2N3904 became ubiquitous general-purpose NPN transistors from the 1960s onward
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Open licensing allowed widespread second-sourcing across manufacturers globally
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Featured in foundational hobbyist books, embedding them in decades of reference designs
Discussion
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Commenters compare to 741/324 op-amps: right place, right time, then endlessly copied
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Warning: vintage parts may not meet modern specs — dropout/threshold voltages can disappoint
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Nostalgia: several engineers note still reaching for 2N3904 as first instinct decades later
Discuss on HN