iPad seems to be bricked by iTunes update

I have an iPad 2, which I don't use much, I just have it for demonstrating mobile device support in my job.

I wanted to put some pictures onto the device, so started up iTunes (why can't you just copy stuff onto it like everything else?). iTunes told me it needed to update itself to 10.6.0.40 so I let it do that. Then after starting up again it told me the iPad needed to be updated, so I let it do that. I wasn't really paying attention, just doing normal work stuff on my computer, when iTunes posted up a message saying the update had failed and needed to do something (restore?). Again, I wasn't paying much attention, I generally assume these sorts of things should work. It then said it couldn't restore because there was no iPad connected. The iPad itself has a picture of a USB plug. I disconnected the iPad and turned it off and on again. The USB picture returned. I plugged it into the computer but no activity at all on the computer and the iPad isn't listed in the connected devices. Needless to say, iTunes also doesn't believe it's connected.

So in summary:

- The iPad won't start, just shows a picture of a USB plug and "iTunes"

- Connecting via USB does nothing (tried 3 computers - Win7 Ent, XP, Win7 Ult)

- Re:above iTunes doesn't recognise an iPad is connected.

Any ideas on where I can go from here?

Chris