Quote[/b] ]Hrm...$5.95 for the CD then an additional $5.62--minimum--for shipping? Blank CDs are very cheap now and that sounds very high for shipping. I understand that Sony has a responsibility to turn a profit, but isn't it a bit early for that? It also seems odd that they ship the account number with the CD, so you can't simply dump the CD to an ISO image and share it with other beta testers.
Even should I participate in the beta, I don't agree with these unethical business practices. Betas are intended for troubleshooting, not for turning a profit before retail release. Some of us have to make every penny count, and $12-$16 for the "privelege" of beta testing is absurd. If the CD and shipping cost closer to $5 (the approximate cost for the Earth and Beyond beta CDs), then I'd understand. But this is ridiculous.