1. A runtime environment configured to preserve platform independence of a program while supporting native accelerators for performance critical program objects, the environment comprising: a virtual machine; a data store of platform independent program object implementations and a data store of platform specific program object implementations; and, a class loader coupled to said virtual machine and programmed to selectively load platform specific program object implementations for performance critical program objects from said data store of platform specific program object implementations, and otherwise load platform independent program object implementations from said data store of platform independent program object implementations.