When cooking I use a chef's knife for nearly everything (except peeling) so I agree that a big set of knives would be a waste. My tip for daily use is a Vctorinox Fibrox. Lots of options available (and I don't know what the difference is with the new design) but:
And:
Would get someone into the game for very little money. Maybe add a cheap cleaver if you want to tackle up bones/frozen stuff.