...

// this hard coded one compiles and runs on all my platforms // but loses the whole point of genericness //typedef AgedMap::AGEDMAPTYPE::index<agetag>::type AGE_INDEX;

// this AGE_INDEX does not on gcc but DOES compile on MSVC8 typedef AgedMap<T>::AGEDMAPTYPE::index<agetag>::type AGE_INDEX;

Try adding 'typename' after 'typedef'.

Yes, that was one of the things I tried before posting, it didn't help (but I didn't leave that in the posted code example) Mark