about Quartus II WebEdition

Web edition supports Cyclone III, but you should use 8.0 to get final timing models (I don't know if it matters though).

At http://www.altera.com/products/software/quartus-ii/web-edition/qts-we-index.html, click "Compare Subscription Edition and Web Edition" near the top of the page for a detailed list of what the Web Edition supports.

I believe that for every beginner the Web Edition is good enough, you will certainly find by yourself the right time when you will need to switch to the Subscription Edition!