  Using continued fractions we study the ground state properties of the
spin-1/2 Ising chain in a transverse field with periodically varying
interaction strengths and external fields. We consider in detail the chain
having the period of modulation of interactions equals 2 and compare the
results obtained with those corresponding to the spin-1/2 isotropic XY chain in
a transverse field. In contrast to the behaviour of the transverse XY chain,
the transverse Ising chain does not exhibit a step-like magnetization vs. field
dependence caused by the alternation of bonds, its susceptibility exhibits a
logarithmic singularity at the field determined by interaction strengths, and
it is stable with respect to spin-Peierls dimerization.
