The 'voyage of discovery' that is Linux

[AvidMark]

So I downloaded 2.6.7 to XP.
It was a revelation, so I decided to install it on my ubuntu laptop.
Did this thru s/ware centre and got QT & GTK+ both stating 2.5.4

However, in doing so, I noted that QT had only 10 downloads, and of those, only 1 review, which was 1 star stating "doesn't work as advertised, could not load .avi file.

I tried to load the MOV file I had loaded in 2.6.7 and got a 'H.264 detected' warning.

I clicked cancel, thinking nothing would load, but my vid appeared running half speed, with no audio.
In GTK+ I clicked yes, and the MOV file still played at half speed with no audio.

I figure I was a plonker...... obv I should have installed the klite codec pack first.
Typed klite but got nothing.
Typed codec and got' ubuntu restricted extras'.

At this point I stopped.
I checked the avidemux pages and discovered an entirely new (to me) way of downloading linux s/ware 'getdeb'.

I had always presumed (and naively told others) that Ubuntu offered a one-stop-shop for getting the very latest linux s/ware from a global repository.
Getdeb informed me differently and that 'they' are the source for the latest linux s/ware.
(obviously I'm not including the developer packs for compiling).

So... whats the rub......

After experiencing the success of Avidemux on XP, I was all fired up to install a multiboot to say kubuntu (for max speed).
All my normal stuff is done on an ubuntu laptop - docs and spreadsheets etc.
It now feels like I've had cold water poured over me.

Yet I've struggled before with ubuntu, and after succeeding, sailed ahead (like, what was the problem).

I note that avidemux can edit videos, but lacks the classic two window setup used by WMM, openshot and kdenlive, however both these linux progs ran the MOV file at half speed with no audio - indicating there must be a fundamental problem within my ubuntu setup, and WMM needs the file converting.

So what's the truth?

Should I just learn to edit video in the 'avidemux way' in XP?
Would this mean that I could edit video in its native MOV format (80Mb vs 4Gb wow!)

Can anybody offer me some guidance on the right path to take?

[AvidMark]

Okay..... So I loaded the Avidemux generated AVI file into WMM and it stutters and loses audio sync.

Also loaded to ubuntu and tried it in Avidemux, openshot, kdenlive - the latter 2 didn't play it, while avidemux ran it at eighth speed with no audio.

Installed Virtualdub in XP...... it played it but image quality was very poor.

So within avidemux xp, the quality is better than every other package, only that it appears at this moment to be only valid within itself.

I am surprised by this, as I assumed AVI was a base standard..... but there again..... what do I know?
Clearly, very little. 

Perhaps I should try outputting the MOV file to something other than AVI?