[wingide-users] bug? :: inconsistency in environment

I just ran into a small inconsistency between what Wing (1.1b7) sets up and 
running under pure python (2.1) :

type(__builtins__) shows dictionary under Wing and pure python gives this as 
a module.  

I only noticed because I have one script that patches the builtin str() to 
replace it with something else and the code for doing the patching needs to 
be different:   (__builtins__.str=newstr vs. __builtins['str']=newstr).

Is this difference intentional?  Am I just displaying my Python novicehood? 
Or what?

Nigel.