Since they first appearance at the end of the 1980's, organic transistors have been experiencing a growing interest from both academic and industrial institutions. In this short review, we address the current state-of-the-art of this new kind of electronic device. In particular, we try to define what characterizes an organic semiconductor, and in what it differs from its inorganic counterpart. As far as the applications are concerned, we show that the organic transistor must not be viewed as a direct competitor to silicon; instead, its future lies in the opportunity to implement new low-cost fabrications techniques, and in the possibility to realize flexible devices on polymer substrates.