diff --git a/optik/option.py b/optik/option.py
index bfd553b..7f7bc93 100644
--- a/optik/option.py
+++ b/optik/option.py
@@ -272,7 +272,7 @@ class Option:
                     self.type = "string"
         else:
             # Allow type objects as an alternative to their names.
-            if type(self.type) is type:
+            if hasattr(self.type, "__name__"):
                 self.type = self.type.__name__
             if self.type == "str":
                 self.type = "string"
diff --git a/optik/option_parser.py b/optik/option_parser.py
index a716a5c..eccaddf 100644
--- a/optik/option_parser.py
+++ b/optik/option_parser.py
@@ -27,11 +27,9 @@ try:
     True, False
 except NameError:
     (True, False) = (1, 0)
-try:
-    basestring
-except NameError:
-    basestring = (str, unicode)
 
+def isbasestring(x):
+    return isinstance(x, types.StringType) or isinstance(x, types.UnicodeType)
 
 class Values:
 
@@ -45,16 +43,13 @@ class Values:
 
     __repr__ = _repr
 
-    def __eq__(self, other):
+    def __cmp__(self, other):
         if isinstance(other, Values):
-            return self.__dict__ == other.__dict__
-        elif isinstance(other, dict):
-            return self.__dict__ == other
+            return cmp(self.__dict__, other.__dict__)
+        elif isinstance(other, types.DictType):
+            return cmp(self.__dict__, other)
         else:
-            return False
-
-    def __ne__(self, other):
-        return not (self == other)
+            return -1
 
     def _update_careful(self, dict):
         """
@@ -480,7 +475,7 @@ class OptionParser (OptionContainer):
         defaults = self.defaults.copy()
         for option in self._get_all_options():
             default = defaults.get(option.dest)
-            if isinstance(default, basestring):
+            if isbasestring(default):
                 opt_str = option.get_opt_string()
                 defaults[option.dest] = option.check_value(opt_str, default)
 
diff --git a/optik/textwrap.py b/optik/textwrap.py
index 47cd9f7..6bcf005 100644
--- a/optik/textwrap.py
+++ b/optik/textwrap.py
@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@
 __revision__ = "$Id: textwrap.py,v 1.35 2004/06/03 01:59:40 gward Exp $"
 
 import string, re
+import types
 
 # Do the right thing with boolean values for all known Python versions
 # (so this module can be copied to projects that don't depend on Python
@@ -120,9 +121,9 @@ class TextWrapper:
         if self.expand_tabs:
             text = text.expandtabs()
         if self.replace_whitespace:
-            if isinstance(text, str):
+            if isinstance(text, types.StringType):
                 text = text.translate(self.whitespace_trans)
-            elif isinstance(text, unicode):
+            elif isinstance(text, types.UnicodeType):
                 text = text.translate(self.unicode_whitespace_trans)
         return text