M and A lenses - Taiwan vs. Japan

[Jim Thomas]

I've been searching all over the web and through the pdml archives for 
some description of the Taiwan lens phenomenon, or at least where it 
concerns the SMC Pentax-M and SMC Pentax-A lenses.  Can't find a thing.  
Can anyone fill me in?  Or point me to a website that describes what 
this was all about?  Obviously the Made inTaiwan lenses are less 
preferable to the Japanese ones, I'm thinking.  Was there any rhyme or 
reason to the existence of some lenses in both Japanese and Taiwanese 
examples?  Every Pentax-M I seem to find is made in Taiwan, but as I 
understand it they ALL weren't.

Sorry for troubling you all with this silly little request, but it's 
been puzzling me for awhile now.  I'll go back to lurking now...

Jim