iPad not connecting, sync not possible

Just wondering if anybody has the same thing happen.
I was always able to sync my ipods and iphones with my main mac mini.
When I plug in my iPad I've got HardwareGrowler showing me what happens;

1. iPad connects, iTunes shows me iPad on the left.
2. iPad disappears from iTunes, growl says iPad disconnecting

And these two over and over again.

So there's no way for me to sync the bloody thing, because 5 seconds is not long enough to even start the process... And every once in a while I try a hard reset, because even the supplied usb charger does not connect to it, not charging, no charging-jingle, nothing.
After the hard reset it will charge. But when I stick it in a mac (any mac) it does connect at all, or it is intermittent. No hard reset will fix this.

Tried it with a Macbook white 2.16, a Mac mini coreduo 1.83 and the main mini 2.53.
None of them will see it.

But then I come home after work one day, stick it in, start iTunes, it connects, it syncs.

This happened today after I reinstalled SnowLeopard over my old setup last night, ran software update to bring it up to the latest. Did NOT even reinstall iTunes.
I just plugged it in with the old cable I use with my iPhone ( that can ALWAYS SYNC), and I could install some video through the VLC app, so it stayed connected for ALL that timse untill I ejected it.
After that I tried plugging it in again to see if it stuck again, but no.
It was back to the old blinkin in and out routine...

I'm still very much in love with this thing, but this drives me nuts !!!

Does anybody have an idea on what kind of issue this might be ?

Anyone ? please ???


W.

Message was edited by Wallybally to correct way too much typo's