Tinderbox
A long-running Mac application from Eastgate Systems for capturing linked notes, visualizing relationships on maps and timelines, and exporting structured hypertext from research, writing, and planning projects.
Typical Mac workflow
You build a document of notes with attributes, prototypes, and links, then arrange ideas on map views, outline tabs, attribute browsers, charts, and the Information City visualization. Agents scan continuously for overdue tasks, incoming web data, or notes that match your rules, while adornments and links show how concepts connect. Writers use Tinderbox for plot threads and source tracking; researchers and analysts for case files, course design, and complex workflows.
Export paths include HTML, XML, RSS, OPML, and custom templates, so a knowledge base can become a website or feed without leaving your Mac. Optional AI integration connects to tools such as Claude Desktop, Claude Code, and Gemini when you enable it, letting assistants read Hints-folder resources and keep project notes. Files stay as local XML on your machine with optional sync through Dropbox or iCloud Drive rather than a mandatory cloud service.
Licensing and version 11.8.0
Tinderbox 11.8.0 requires macOS 12 or later and sells from eastgate.com for $289 with one year of free updates; upgrades from any prior version cost $98, and an annual update subscription starts at $83. The demo runs fully but caps creation at about thirty notes. Version 11.8.0 reinforces core infrastructure, reimplements the AI bridge for broader model support, speeds HTML export, improves map arrow rendering, and lets attribute-browser columns remember their widths; the full changelog lives in Help ▸ Tinderbox Help inside the app.
