Preferences.app is, functionally, a clone of
NeXTstep/OPENSTEP tool of the same name. Just like
the original program, it's a simple application
for setting preferences for the GNUstep system,
with a friendly interface. The program is
simple, but powerful, in that people can create
new modules, called "bundles", that add new things
to the program that its original developers did
not think of or even intend, that don't require
recompiling the main program.