Maybe I'm just stupid, but after reading the whole manual and doing the 4 tutorials I still can't get anywhere after about 10 hours on the game in small maps against standard computer AI.

There are just so many variables. Many you don't know what you have to do to address as the popups tells you, you need to research something, but there is no hotlink to what exactly that research is called and where it is on the chart.

Does anybody know of a true newbie gameguide or at least an hour or so youtube video explaining how to play the game on a small map so I can see the menus accessed and somebody explaining why they are doing what?

It's no fun getting into these slow and painful deaths with the CPU.  I was able to get into and grasp Homeworld so much faster.