Microsoft Windows Movie Maker 2: Visual Quickstart Guide

Introduction

I've worked with a diverse range of video editing programs, some that cost thousands of dollars, and some, like Microsoft's Windows Movie Maker 2, that are free. How does Movie Maker stack up?

Well, when comparing editors, I look at both usability and functionality. The first assesses how quickly and easily a new user can start to use the program effectively. In this regard, Movie Maker rates very high, since most users should be able to quickly get up to speed and start editing, especially (ahem) with a good book to help.

Movie Maker also does well at providing basic levels of functionality, with good capture, trimming, and clip organization features that let you capture video from your camcorder and arrange it into a cohesive movie. ...