I'm baked, I was going to answer based on reading the topic title, "Which variety for first timer?"

You can't go wrong with the intermatic t-101.

Great first timer, and you can grow into it. If using 240 volt make sure to get at least a t-104 since it's a 2-pole timer. Leaving one of the hot lines energized puts undue stress on the ballast.

But I guess you asked something different.

What you grow is a personal choice. Obviously pick an indoor strain.

I'd avoid pure sativas as they take longer and often take longer to grow.

Perhaps Early-Girl or some other fast flowering hybrid, that way you can learn and fine tune your technique with less time between grow cycles.