 Production began on Oct. 1, 1951 with the point contact germanium transistor.By 1953, the transistor was being used in some products, such as hearing aids and telephone exchanges, but there were still significant issues preventing its broader application, such as sensitivity to moisture and the fragility of the wires attached to germanium crystals.Donald G. Fink, Philco's director of research, summarized the status of the transistor's commercial potential with an analogy