Stainless Software

Stainless Software was a TI99/4 and 4a specific software publishing and distributing business run by Stephen Shaw from England from 1982 to 1985.

Stainless distributed software from many prominent American sources (such as Not Polyoptics, Maple Leaf, Norton, PS Software and Pewterware) as well as many U K written programs by authors such as Patrick Strassen, Alexander McMath, Roland Trueman, Malcolm Adams and others).

Once TI withdrew from the market and module prices crashed, sales of tape software became difficult and the business somewhat petered out. Towards the end Stainless arranged with UK authors for as many titles as posible to be released to the freeware market and many were sold in America through Texaments.

Only one customer guessed the origin of the trade name used, a long forgotten UK comedian by the name of Stainless Stephen.

Stainless published programs by

• Adams, Malcolm: Breakpoint, Checkers, Galactic Encounter, Secret Agent
• Akers, P.J: Bouncing Bugs, Quadrablitz
• Banks, Colin: Astrowars, Battle Tanks, Crash, Lunar Base / Torpedo Fire
• Bindoff, S: Tank Atak
• Boothroyd, K: Bag Bounder, Food of the Gods
• Brooks, Peter: 3D Func, Auto 3D Func, 3D Noughts and Crosses, Designs for Fun, Freeform and Triangles, Hi D Plot, Lines, Dimple, Keyplot, Mosaics
• Bryer, Russell: Tukoms Kingdom
• Burmiston, Gary: H M S Texas
• Christmas, M: Beetle
• Curtis, Mike: Q Bono
• DCR Software: Trogman
• Dickinson, Paul: Dungeon Gold, Greedy Green Grabbers
• Hindley, Philip: Death Park
• Hobbs, Martin: Splodge
• Kazmer, Ray: Cannonball Chess, Texas Ranger
• Marshall, Graham: Spring Heeled Jack
• Mcauley, Colin: Farmer, Invasion
• McGovern, Tony: Co-List, Tex Bounce (TXB)
• McKearney, Stephen: Character Creator
• McMath, Alistair: Bowls, Fighter Pilot, Golf, Motor Cross, Rally Cross
• Myers, Andrew: Grail Quest, The Pit
• Mynard, Stephen: Kamikaze
• O'Regan, Mike: Pen the Pig, Word Processor
• Pauline Programs: Radar Defence
• Pegg, Ian: Battleships, Extended Character Definition, Mining Game, Quicker Qwerty
• Pincus, Sam: Disk Utility Program, Mad Scientist, Stoneville Manor
• Platt, Austin: Aries
• Richards, P: Global Rescue
• Rock, Christopher: Martian Monsters
• Shaw, Stephen: Amazing; Bells, Black Box (legally licensed from the inventor!); Guess, Hexdechex, Hungarian Hex, Hungarian Squares, Imhotep, Ledgers, Music, Pilot (language), Pompeii, Roulette, Snooker, Squares, TV Test Card, Victorian Sewers, Video Titles.
• SP Software: First and Last, Kong, Mr D, Pengi, Roo, TNT
• Strassen, Patrick: 3D Race, Man and Monsters, Night Flight, Patscram Mission, Planet Destroyer, Zarquon.
• Sumner, Mark: 3D Stalkers, Crazy Caver, Keys of the Castle, PS Pesteroids, Space Rescue, Spy's Demise, Starprobe 99, Wallaby, Wonkapillar, Octal. (Note: In the USA Mark's programs were published by several software publishers. He was earning money to write books, one of which became a TV series)
• Taylor, H: Mars Mine Lander

And programs whose authors I no longer have any record of (sorry):

• Firelady, Halloween, Load, Mr Frog, Snakes and Ladders

Stainless sold under licence programs by

• Data Systems: Chemtutor 1, Concordia, Life Expectancy
• DEJ Software: Armada, ASW Tactics 2, Crash Up, Go for the Gold, Nomad
• FFF Software: FFF Asteroids, Shuttle Command
• Intersoft: Defend the Cities 1 and 2, Galactic Gunfight, Meteor Storm
• Kuhl Software: Assembler Math, Data Rescue, Fish, Scepter of Kzirgla
• Maple Leaf Microware: Counting with Coins, Devil Craze, Hang Glider Pilot, Happy Math, Math Flash Astronaut, Math Flash Pilot, Sky Diver, Spelling and Phonics, Time Tutor
• Norton Software: Attack Man, Cross Country Car Rally, Graphics Package, Lunar Lander, Music Synthesiser, Star Trek, Super Frogger, Tank
• Not Polyoptics: 99 vaders, Addvance, Ant wars, Backgammon, Bankroll, Cars and Carcasses 2, Crosses, Hordes, Khe Sanh, Laser Tank, Maze of Ariel, Ophyss, Sengoku Jidai, Ships, Starship Pegasus, Tickworld, Tower, Treasure Trap, Waldoball, Winging It
• Oak Tree Systems Crossums, Display Enhancement Package, Smash
• Pewterware: Bluegrass Sweepstakes, Challenge Poker, Decathlon, Fast Frog, Goblins Revenge, Match Wits, Norbert, Tractor Follies, Up Periscope
• PRP Computergraphics: 5 Card Stud Poker, Biorhythms, Blackjack, Checkerboard Square, Crossword Challenge, Horserace, Scribble
• Roach Software: Mega Fighter, Outland
• Timagination: Walls and Bridges, Zombie Mambo
• Titan Software: Braintwisters 1 | Braintwisters 2 | Braintwisters 3 | Gopher

LINKS

"http://webspace.webring.com/people/o0/04451/" - Addatex- Malcolm Adams web page.

"http://ftp.whtech.com/Users/stephen/TI.htm" - Stephen Shaw's TI resources with some programs in emulator format including Stainless catalogue.

"http://shawweb.myzen.co.uk/stephen/stainless1.htm" - Complete Illustrated Compendium Stainless Software Catalogue with links to reviews.