As an author of a Git GUI, I've thought about this problem a lot. git-cola is quite user friendly, but its target audience is specifically power users (I wrote it for myself). I don't like dumbing things down for new users.

If you think about it -- targeting new users is not the ideal for a maker-centric tool. A master chef uses the sharpest knife around. The new chef is only new for so long before he graduates up.