This looks like a nice lens but shouldn't a lens at this price come with image stabilization (IS)?

I think most of the prime lens( standard and med. telephoto) from Canon are w/o IS- even the L lens -- unless they are telephoto/ super telephoto lens . However they do find out more and more people not using them on fixes tripod even it is not telephoto lens- so they so start making 24 and 28mm prime lens with IS build in. I think eventually they will all with IS.
Speaking about IS- I prefer Sony build IS on the camera body instead of LENS. Maybe that's the way Canon try to max. their profit... But we have no control of it...

You would think that Sony lenses will be cheaper since they don't come with IS. On the contrary, they are just as expensive as the ones with IS even third party made ones.

#3 Actually- I don't know if sony lens are cheaper or not. But I know Canon sell "IS" and "non-IS" lens at different price. That make me feel they try to profit every time they sell IS lens..
One more thing I don't like Canon is- I think they try to release technology slowly so they can keep you upgrading. My very old EOS 3( film camera- year 2000) already got 45 focus points. But now days, 7d got 19 focus point, only 1d Mark II got 45 focus point. I don't believe Canon cannot make it better after 12 years but they just keep upgrade slowly so they can always has new model coming out and force consumer follow their roadmap..

If consumers are stupid enough to follow every new product and shell money for it, they deserve to be milked by the big companies.

I detect a reference to Apple #5.