State Of The Art In Python File Access?

I think my ZBrush Commander could be much faster in reading and especially writing ASCII format OBJ files, and I understand this is a general Python question, but wonder what, within Rhino Grasshopper is the best way to match how fast Rhino itself is at writing files, even though my bare bones OBJs are only a third the size of Rhino creates from the same mesh?

See: http://www.grasshopper3d.com/forum/topics/zbrush-is-now-a-grasshopp...

Writing, I ridiculously do a system call (write) for each and every vertex and face of a mesh:

Reading, I'm less clear on whether this loop does the same thing or not: