I would like if some STL expert would have checked my STL code if it is really the optimal solution. If this first pass is OK, I will try to submit the page to alt.lang.c++.moderated to further review (and then maybe we can make it an article).
Now really surprising is the stream difference. I always thought that reimplementing stream library for U++ is the least tenable wheel-reinventing aspect of the platform. Maybe I was wrong...
I think the problem is those stupid "ascii"/"binary" modes of Windows platform, which disallow really effective inlined gets. OTOH, that was one of primary reasons to reinvent the wheel.