Need recommendations for simple video editing software

I want to be able to take video (digital video from a camcorder) and take an entire tape/file and cut it up into pieces and rearrange those pieces - pretty simple… think about watching a game of baseball or something and creating a highlight reel. I need software where I can linearly edit out chunks and compose them in whatever order I need to. Freeware would be nice, but I’ll look into buying software if I need to.

Extra features and ease of use would be nice, but my primary need is something that can simply edit and splice chunks of video on a timeline.

I was able to start using Pinnacle Studio fairly quickly.

Everyone I know who does video editing swears by Final Cut Pro.

I got Ulead Video Studio with my camcorder. It works OK for a beginner. There is a free trial period for some of these programs.