This post may be yet another exercise in fultility but, being a sucker for punishment, here goes:
The original question in this thread being "Is HTML Editor appropriate for beginners?", it is probably unwise to sneer dismissively, or arrogantly, at the basic - but utterly important - topics. I've seen enough posts in these forums expressing desperation after work lost - without backups - (and elation after the realization that there may be backups of some kind on the server...

) to know that, while the mechanics involved in making backups may be trivial, having sufficient discipline and conviction about the importance of making the backups - to ensure that it actually gets done - is not! It may more often than not be some form of arrogance that leads to the lack of backups... As always, just a thought...
On the original question, I think HTML Editor is an excellent choice for beginners! I started out with HTML Editor - first Visual Editor for a day or so, and then the Code Editor - and if I could handle it and enjoy it, anybody could!