including the battery pack in the camera package probably would have made the package more expensive...
i guess it's just marketing schemes, they make you think that you are getting a good deal on the camera, but you'd need to shell out more cash for an essential add-on.
but this is a GREAT camera though! i have had it for a month (bought the battery pack too), and it's been awesome!! I am a real newbie when it comes to photography, so I wasnt looking for a camera that offered all kinds of manual operations and tweaks.. This Canon camera is easy to operate, and offers some manual operations too.
I got it from onvia with pointclick and $25 off coupon by the way. They had it listed for cheaper back then, about $20 bucks cheaper. I also got the case from onvia, and got the battery pack along with an extra battery from buy.com.