What are the stars/constellations a beginner/enthusiast can easily identify?
In the Fall (early morning) and the Winter (early-late evening), Orion is a large an easily identifiable constellation.

In the Spring (early morning) and the Summer (early-late evening), Cygnus and Pegasus are two large and easily identifiable constellations.

Check out an application called Stellarium.  It's free and available for every current platform and has a large database.