The Deskjet 3940 is a budget-friendly choice for individuals who aren't in a rush. Although it's rated at print speeds of up to 12 pages per minute for color, the real-world output, particularly for photos, tends to be maddeningly slow.

This model ships with a printed set-up guide and is easy to configure, although you will need to supply your own USB cable ($10 to $20). The Deskjet 3940 is lightweight and compact, with an 80-sheet input tray that folds up when not in use, if you want to save a little space.

The Deskjet 3940 supports optimized print resolutions of up to 4,800 dpi, and it offers five printing modes (Fast Draft, Fast Normal, Normal, Best and Maximum dpi) to suit the type of job you're printing. It can handle letter- and legal-size paper, envelopes, and card stock. Although it can print photos up to 8-1/2X11 inches, it cannot print borderless photos any larger than 4X6 inches. Output quality is good for text and line art, although the strokes in small fonts may be a little thin, and some thin lines in line art may disappear entirely. Output quality of photos is very good (if slow), with good contrast and rich colors.

An onscreen ink-level indicator lets you know when ink is running low, so you won't run out in the middle of a large print job.

HP's proprietary Real Life Technologies feature can perform basic image editing, including zapping red-eye and adjusting brightness and contrast. The included Image Zone Express Photo and Imaging software can help you keep your photos organized, as well as back them up to CD or DVD.

The Deskjet 3940 package includes the set-up poster, a power supply, a power cord, a black ink cartridge, a tricolor ink cartridge and a CD with software, drivers and an electronic user guide.

Pro: Good output quality. Lightweight and compact. Separate black ink cartridge helps save money on consumables, and also delivers richer blacks.
Con: Relatively slow print speeds. Better at printing photos than text. Uses a tricolor ink cartridge, so you must replace all colors at once. Borderless printing is limited to 4X6-inch photos. No parallel port connection for older systems. Ink cartridge capacity is lower than normal.

Warranty
1 year, limited