CNET editors’ review

Reviewed by: CNET staff on July 01, 2009

For users who need to type the same text over and over again or are repeatedly copying and pasting text between Word documents, TextBeast Free Clipboard+ will be a blessing. This powerful clipboard application allows users to manage large quantities of text and cut and paste with a single mouse click.

TextBeast’s interface is not the most intuitive one we’ve ever seen, but the program’s capabilities make it worth the effort to figure out. The Welcome menu attempts to show users how to get started, but it takes some trial and error to get the hang of it. Still, the program is not complex, and most users should catch on pretty quickly. TextBeast allows users to store large swaths of text that can be organized with user-assigned labels. The program displays 20 items at a time; additional pages of 20 are accessed through customizable buttons. For example, you could have a button that takes you to a set of sales-related text blocks, and another for a set of service-related blocks. The trial version has no time limitation, but allows only 40 text boxes. The program helpfully matches the formatting of the text to that of the target document, eliminating the need for constant reformatting. The program also offers a drag-and-drop feature, as well as the capability to paste only part of a given piece of text.

Overall, TextBeast is not flashy or sleek, but it does what it sets out to extremely well. We recommend this program for any user who needs to do a lot of cutting and pasting; the time it takes to master the program will be returned many times over.

Publisher’s description

textBEAST is more than a clipboard; it’s a text manager that’s perfect for the busy professional or anyone who doesn’t want to waste time typing the same things over and over again. With textBEAST, you can copy, store, organize and paste text with ease. It features a clean, uncluttered interface and powerful organizational capabilities. What good is stored text if you can’t quickly find it? With textBEAST, it’s easy to organize and find what you’re looking for, thanks to unique customizable button names that set it apart from the competition and let the user save clips in meaningful fast-access groups. Quickly find and paste the text you need, saving time and effort while increasing accuracy. No need to reformat your text to match your document’s font type and size. It’s automatic.