They were still common 20 years ago.

That makes it sound like a couple of generations ago, it was 1996. There were lots of everyday things with ICs around then.

That’s what I’m saying innit

Brooes the answer my friend is blowing in the wind.

It feels like how many roads must a man walk down question, as repeatedly pointed out too many to count. Even if you assume 1 chip per device still a shit load. Probably hundreds in my loft. I think i saw one in the last low energy lightbulb I replaced. We are completely dependent on them. Im keen to keep my bikes mechanical though, although i suspect it wouldnt make any difference if i wasn’t. Electronic transmission isnt at deore pricing yet is it!

>It probably does – we’re not talking microprocessors here. You have been able to get signal amplifiers on a chip for 30 odd years.

And the rest – the 741 op-amp (pretty ubiquitous when I was a kid into electronics, 40 years ago) has been around since 1968.
Got an Z80, 8080A, assorted TTL/cmos logic and various opamps sitting in a box in the shed, circa ’79 or 80.
And a 12″ wafer hanging from the study wall, that’s got about 230-odd 15mmx15mm graphics processor dice within it..

(waves at AdamT 😀 )