These capabilities are useful, especially when you teach the chapters on page design and graphics. If the students have access to a professional-level graphics package, I would encourage them to use it. If you have students write some assignments collaboratively, computers will make their task much simpler. With stand-alone word processors, they can swap disks and merge files. Networked computers add a number of options, not only for collaborative writing but for the whole course.
Students can create and merge files without having to swap disks, which makes collaboration easier.
If your students are connected to the network through a modem, they can do their work from a remote location. With a network, students can comment electronically on drafts during class, giving the writer a long list of comments to consider. Some research suggests that electronic commenting provides longer, more articulate commentary than the traditional means of asking students to comment orally. If you are networked, your students can use whatever software you have stored on your server or have access to through the network. If you have Internet access from your lab or classroom, you can find a tremendous amount of information for use in class and for outside assignments.