Final answer:
Transistors were used during the third generation of computers, allowing for the miniaturization and increased efficiency of computers starting in the late 1950s and early 1960s.
Step-by-step explanation:
Transistors were the major technology used during the third generation of computers. The third generation of computers emerged in the late 1950s and early 1960s when transistors replaced vacuum tubes, allowing computers to become smaller, faster, and more energy-efficient. With the advent of the silicon-based integrated circuit around the late 1950s, a technology pioneered by Jack Kilby and Robert Noyce, transistors could be more densely packed, leading to further miniaturization and enhanced computational power.
The previous generation, which was the second, relied primarily on vacuum tubes, which were bulkier, consumed more power, and were prone to failures. It wasn't until the transistor revolution that computers began to evolve rapidly, marking the beginning of what is known as the Computer Age. This period is distinguished by the substitution of the less efficient vacuum tube with transistors, followed by the development of integrated circuits, which set the foundation for modern computing technology.