The answer obviously depends on your starting point. It allowed me to select a larger font than normal, and to use Bold. I could just as well have chosen Notepad, which is also always present, but it does not allow me these options. Mac users have Simpletext, which serves the same purpose. This is seldom a good idea, but even less so in language.
Teachers have a hard enough time determining language competence in their students.
It is certainly true that computers draw people's attention. One has only to observe. In a way, this is similar to television. However, putting something on the computer is not enough to HOLD people's attention, if the content itself is boring. Students may be dazzled by the graphics and sound, but they will soon realize they have been duped if the activities are of the same, boring kind that were presented before.