AH question...no transistors or equivalent?

Being almost completely ignorant of electronci technology's development, I wondering...how likely would it be for the transistor not to be developed? I'm looking to take the 20th century forwards with vacuum tubes (or Valves, for the UK folks) thus maintaining a computer-light society. Sure, there would still be big, clunky machines the size of small houses in use..but only for critical functions. Technology still advances, but following a different path.
Plausible, or is the transistor simply a device who's time had come, and would be developed?
 
IIRC the first Diodes where proposed in the 19oughts. The Idea and Theory is that Early.
It took 40 years to develop them. but by the 1960's It would be almost impossible to stop them from happening.

You can have a parallel development of miniature Tubes. With a competition between them in the 60's~70's.
This may delay the development of Mini circuit boards. and the whole Electronics revolution.
 
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