Are Dell laptops good for a highschool student to use?

I know someone who is starting highschool in that fall and she needs a new laptop. Are the new colorfully designed Dell Inspiron laptops good for this situation? Are they any good for doing this like research and writing?Are Dell laptops good for a highschool student to use?Pretty much all laptops are good for surfing and word processing.



So. What I would look for is actually buying a new one. NOT A USED ONE!!! Then looking at microsoft office or Open office.