Okay, OPENSTEP 4.2 is the best pre-Mac OS X operating systems you can use (and the best of the series for Intel compatible systems). This is even better than Rhapsody because of the number of apps and their prices (which are now almost all free!).
First thing to do is to get your system ready for the 21st century... by adding some patches:
OPENSTEP 4.2 User Patch 4 and
OPENSTEP 4.2 Developer Patch 4.
Now we need apps!
OmniWeb 3: What can I say, it's
OmniWeb (and here is OmniPDF also, but that would not be my PDF viewer of choice).
OmniWeb 3.0,
OmniFramworks,
OmniPlugIns, and
OmniPDF
TIFFany 2.4: Much like TIFFany 3.0 with one very important difference... this one is free now! You can get your free license
here
Geomview: (from the readme) Geomview is an interactive geometry viewing program. OOGL, which stands for Object Oriented Graphics Library, is the library upon which Geomview is built.
Geomview,
Geomview ReadMe, and the
Geometry Center Home Page
PDFView 2.1: Much better than OmniPDF in reading PDF docs, it can handle any PDF that Acrobat 3 can.
PDFView directory
Chronographer: Great organizer! you can read more about it and download it from
here
Lighthouse Design:(as described on Peak.org, license strings can be found here)
OpenWrite: OpenWrite is a full-featured and easy to use word processor for OpenStep. From technical reports and memos, to book documents and even World Wide Web pages, OpenWrite provides everyday users with a first-rate solution.
OpenWrite directory
Concurrence: Concurrence is the premiere presentation program for OpenStep. With an intuitive interface and powerful feature set, Concurrence provides users with all of the tools they need to create polished business and technical presentations--from 35mm slides and overheads to viewgraphs and web-based briefings.
Concurrence directory
Diagram!: Diagram! is OpenStep's leading drawing application for business and technical professionals. Diagram!'s rich feature set and easy-to-use drawing palettes make it ideal for a wide variety of general-purpose drawings--from basic organization charts to business process models (BPR), brainstorm drawings to object-oriented/CASE graphics and database design.
Diagram! directory
ParaSheet: ParaSheet is a full-featured traditional spreadsheet for OpenStep. Combining a familiar spreadsheet interface with a powerful macro language and graphics engine, ParaSheet is the ultimate solution for all of your day-to-day financial analysis and accounting needs.
ParaSheet directory
Quantrix:Quantrix is a multi-dimensional spreadsheet and analytical framework for OpenStep applications. For enterprises driven by spreadsheets--from budgets and forecasts to custom applications based on spreadsheet views and charts--Quantrix offers a significant competitive edge.
Quantrix directory
EquationBuilder: EquationBuilder is an innovative technical equation editor for OpenStep. EquationBuilder simplifies the chores normally associated with visualizing and editing complex equations, providing technical and business professionals with a fast, easy-to-use tool for building equations.
EquationBuilder directory
TaskMaster: TaskMaster is a comprehensive management tool designed to facilitate project and resource management in OpenStep) enterprises. Day-to-day users, high-level managers and developers will appreciate the ease with which they can efficiently summarize, analyze, manage and track their ongoing projects.
TaskMaster directory
AirMail: AirMail is a full-featured NEXTSTEP- and OpenStep-based client for Hewlett Packard's OpenMail, the server-based enterprise messaging standard. With AirMail, IT managers using OpenMail to build a more robust and cost-effective messaging infrastructure can extend these benefits to client systems running NEXTSTEP and OpenStep.(NOTE: If you don't have an HP OpenMail server installed and running, this application will not run.)
AirMail directory
WetPaint: WetPaint is a powerful, general-purpose paint and image manipulation program for OpenStep. With an extensive (and extensible) collection of paint tools and filters, WetPaint is ideal for users who want to add stunning graphical effects to their presentations, custom user interfaces, or general design and desktop publishing documents.
WetPaint directory
VarioBuilder: Custom database designs are created with VarioBuilder, the VarioData database builder. No knowledge of programming is required to create database forms--simply drag and drop text, time, and currency fields, along with a variety of standard OpenStep interface elements onto a data canvas. All the familiar choices, from pop-up lists, buttons and check boxes, to file and image wells, are available for speeding data entry.
VarioBuilder directory
VarioData: VarioData is the first multi-user flatfile database to offer a simple point and click interface to workgroup data management. VarioData is ideal for customer databases, departmental inventories and bug tracking, and provides an intuitive interface to building mixed-media workgroup databases.
VarioData directory
JavaPlan: JavaPlan is an object oriented analysis and design (OOA&D) tool designed specifically for enterprises developing Java and Objective-C based applications. JavaPlan expedites the delivery and increases the quality of large-scale object-based custom applications.
JavaPlan directory
These are the ones I can think of off hand, if I remember any that I have forgotten, I'll post them.