Beware the off-brand tablet

A search for cheap tablets on sites like eBay will result in hundreds of tantalizing options from companies you've never heard of. My advice: steer clear of all of them.

I'm all for underdogs and fixer-uppers, but I've seen CNET readers burned too many times by offers like these. Even in the best-case scenario, these fly-by-night manufacturers rarely offer support or any hope for software updates.