in the computer world "beta" means "still under development but available for use so we can see how it really works." generally, beta versions of software or websites are made available to the public for free or cheap, even if the final version is intended to cost some money. beta products generally carry the disclaimer that no guarantees are made as to the safety of your data or the usability of the product. in some cases, like the google gmail beta, the beta period was very long and showed no serious signs of limited functionality. in other cases, like the beta release of a piece of software for which i am a tester, the beta had some very specific flaws which resulted in several rounds of feedback to the developer followed by new versions of the software. after this process of back and forth, the final 1.0 version of the was released to the general public and had matured through the beta process so as to be devoid of any major flaws.