Microsoft's Windows Live Movie Maker 2011 offers a new user interface and improved functionality. Editing video with the new Movie Maker software is simple, fun and productive. But it's been a journey for this free video editing software to get to this point. In this issue, we take a quick look at Windows Movie Maker's transformation into a refined tool and show you the basics of the new Windows Live Movie Maker.

A Windows Movie Maker Flashback

Microsoft loves to remind us that billions of people use Windows everyday. So it's no surprise the Windows Movie Maker has been a first crack at video editing for many of video editors. Windows Movie Maker was first introduced to the world in the Windows 2000 operating system, but didn't really gain mass attraction until it showed up later in Windows Me and more notably Windows XP (source: Wikipedia). We remember the day when all our workstations at the Videomaker office ran Windows 2000, even then we had not spared much time to give Movie Maker a thorough review. Well, it's time to give it the proper attention it deserves.

Looking for Free Video Editing Software

During those early days when digital video editing applications were growing by leaps and bounds, Windows Movie Maker was quietly making headway against the competition. Through the years, Windows Movie Maker has managed to amass popularity and out live some of its competitors in the free video editing software marketplace (remember Avid Free DV?) Yet Apple's iMovie has always grabbed much more attention over the years with all its razzmatazz marketing from the Cupertino-based company. But this is a new day and the new Windows Live Movie Maker has a lot to offer new editors looking for a free video editing software package. This new version is very approachable. Its low learning curve makes it a joy to use and it's got enough advance controls to let your creative side shine through.

Video Editing On Windows

As far as free video editing software is concerned, Windows Live Movie Maker offers a great suite of tools. It should be noted, however, that it can't do everything and that it's quite limited in many ways. It's a great place to start if you're new to video editing. You can do many of the basic edits needed to put together a thoughtful video. This latest version lacks a timeline, however. Previous versions of free Windows Movie Maker included a timeline, which is a preferred user interface for many editors. So, if you're looking for something a little more robust, you'll need to look elsewhere. We recommend entry level or beginner editing software like Adobe Premiere Elements 9 ($100), Nero Multimedia Suite 10 ($70), CyberLink Media Suite 9 ($70), Magix Video easy HD ($40) or Avid Studio ($170), to name a few, for those who want a little more out of their video editing software without breaking the bank. But let's be honest, it's hard to beat free.