Built-in protection saves board space
Overcurrent, overtemperature, and short-circuit protection are integrated, so you can skip the external crowbar or PTC on the output for most loads. The quiescent current runs 6 mA typical, 6.5 mA max — a fixed overhead to budget in the supply rail regardless of load current.
Through-hole TO-92-3 — legacy fit, no reflow needed
The TO-92-3 through-hole package (TO-226-3 equivalent) is a three-lead transistor outline. It hand-solders easily and suits point-to-point wiring, prototyping, or retrofitting into older PCB layouts that were laid out for a 78Lxx footprint. No reflow profile to qualify; just bend the leads and insert.