C++ for Ultimate Control
C++ Vs C: High-Level Abstractions at a Low Cost
"C++ introduced an I/O model based on streams. The streams model offers an interface that is, in the common case, slightly slower than using native operating system calls. However, in most cases, it is fast enough that programmers choose the superior portability, flexibility, and type-safety of streams to faster but less-friendly native calls."
C++ also has a standards committee which recognizes certain libraries as "official" such as the Boost libraries.