1. Apple iMovie & Windows Movie Maker
If you can't learn these programs, you need...well you need to re-think your desire to edit. This is as basic as it gets. These programs are simple timeline based editing. You import your clips, and snip them to size, and place them on the time-line. Throw some audio over top - and you're good to go. They are very user-friendly and hold your hand all the way.
2. Pinnacle Studio & Ulead Videostudio
This is a little more high brow. All digital video editing programs are really identical if you break it down to what it does. Really, the only difference is how you perform the same actions. To more expirenced editors they may find the more advanced layouts easier for them to work. The overly simplistic and redundancy of iMovie and WMM is gone. These programs include a far more varied list of filters and transitions, and the ability to play around with those to some extent. That said, they are still quite limited in their total capabilities for editing and effects.
3. Adobe Premiere Pro & Apple Final Cut Pro
Welcome to the higher levels of editing. Most of the features found in these programs will mean nothing to you. But for those that are starting to say, "Hey, i wish i could do *blank*" i could then tell you "sure, you do it like this." Really, the sky is the limit with these bad boys. From Green-screen, to advanced video correction, to focus, etc etc. Could could have limitless layers of video and audio all playing at the same time.
