I'm sorry to say that what I see in this promotion is an attempt to raise cash from the community, with NO guarantee that you'll get anything more than a T-shirt for your US$50.
Bill McE: Make that a $100 discount for $50 up front and I *might* consider it an investment in the future. Clarify that this discount can be used for ANY A1-certified hardware, not just a clone of the developer board, and I would consider it very seriously. Otherwise, my dollars will go to Amithlon.