Here are a few positive things about Premiere Elements:
1. the interface is consumer oriented so it’s easier than Final Cut or Premiere CS4
2. outputting to DVD is very easy
3. it’s not very expensive
4. the built in chromakey (Videomerge) works great and it’s very easy. Almost every recent adult student has asked about chromakey and it’s so easy because when you import a clip with a solid background (such as a green screen) the software automatically detects the background and asks if you want to use “Videomerge”. If you click “Yes”, you are done.
5. there are forums, books, and Lynda.com to help a new user get up and running