The key reason is that the power to set standards and define specifications in the information industry remains firmly in the grasp of American firms. When will Microsoft release its new Windows 98? Why did Intel abandon its Pentium line of microprocessors to start up a new Pentium Ⅱ line which is completely different from everyone else's? Taiwanese firms can only guess.
然而，兩灣的全球定位仍有很大的落差，關鍵就在資訊產品的標準、規格和定義，至今仍牢牢抓在美商手裡，譬如微軟公司何時要推出視窗九八、英代爾為何要放棄舊型 PENTIUM，另起爐灶去開發一種和其他各廠牌微處理器都截然不同的 PENTIUMⅡ…… 等，台灣廠商都只能揣測而無從置喙。