I do not know if i titled this thread right but i am looking for a editing program which runs on a pc that i can give to students who are only learning to edit and do not have a laptop powerful enough to run something like premiere or avid. I am aware of premiere elements but from what i have heard from others it is not the best. Ideally i would like to be able to give them something better than movie maker, something with a standard timeline, browser, viewer and some transitions would be perfect.

Take a look at this EditStudio 6, advanced video editing with keyframing and chroma keying (http://www.mediachance.com/video/index.html)
I have their original DVD authoring program and still use it today. If it's any indication this video editing software should be pretty solid.

Sony Vegas Movie Studio (http://www.sonycreativesoftware.com/products/vegasfamily.asp) is another one to research. It's fairly capable on lower end machines.

There's a British company, Serif, making a remarkably capable program called Movie Plus, which came out in an improved version, X3, last Spring, though I believe the previous version, 5, may still be available. It's not well known here, and doesn't rank with the major pro versions, but I have produced some fairly sophisticated work on it.

For under $100, it's quite something. The main problems with the V5 involved primarily a few file types and DVD authoring issues, both of which have been addressed in the newer version.

I just checked the site, Serif ¦ Desktop Publishing, Graphic & Web Design, Digital Video & Photo Editing (http://www.serif.com), and do not see the specs/requirements listed. You might, however, wish to take a look or give them a call about your needs. They have an office in New Hampshire, I believe, and I have always found them to be very responsive in customer service.