JHutch is right. Macs are terrible at multitasking. Even with 92MB of RAM, my G3 233 at work slows to a crawl when I have multiple programs open.
If they are in use (not just sitting cracking) make sure that the programs are being closed when you're done with them. Most people who are familiar with Win9x just assume that clicking on the little close window box in the corner of the window closes a program, but it only closes the window. You need to make sure the programs are shut down, either through the menu or by pressing Apple-Q (or command-Q, but I learned on Apple II's so I always say Apple). You can switch between programs by clicking in the top right corner of the desktop. If a program is running, but the windows are not open, select them in the top-right, then do an Apple-Q to close them.
Also, OS 9 is much better than the earlier Mac OSes. More stable, better multi-task, you'll get a better keyrate (10-15% in my experience).