Change. It’s part of our environment. It’s something that we live with and work for. It’s something that, as the saying goes, we can be sure of.

But how do we live with change? Some may mark our tendency to cling to events of the past. There are, they point out, few among us over 30 who don’t recall with fondness such popular television shows as "The Addams Family," "Gilligan’s Island," "Gunsmoke," and "The Man From U.N.C.L.E." Yet others note that many changes since that time – changes in lifestyle and, particularly, in technology.

But how did it all come about? Take, for example, radio.

We know radio didn’t just pop into existence, but the question remains, where did it evolve from? We plug it into the wall socket or turn on a switch – so we know, without thought, that it’s an electronic device that’s made with a lot of components. If we have several sets around the house, we might, when comparing them, notice that one contains transistors, the other, vacuum tubes. You might, if you own a recent model, even see electronic boards with familiar semiconductor packages arranged around them. But our understanding ends there. Are these components related? If so, how? Is it a matter of evolution? Does it reflect great leaps, great advancements?

The answer is yes.

In fact, if you look around you, you’ll see the combined result of a unique marriage between electricity and computers – a marriage that is destined to have even more major impact in the future.

The subject of change is one that we’ve chosen to address in detail in this anniversary issue. It’s a subject that’s particularly relevant because Mostek – in its 15 years of existence – has contributed greatly to this era of technological development, and will continue its contributions in the future.

Overall, we’ll try to answer the questions: what are the roots of the microelectronics industry? What have been Mostek’s contributions to that industry? Where are our products use? And where are we headed in the future? First, a history.