Unreliable programming with new Arduinos

michinyon:
avrdude: Recv:
avrdude: stk500v2_ReceiveMessage(): timeout
And then, sometimes, I get crap like this. Which works no better.

I don't have an Arduino Mega 2560 so I can't help much with that problem.

Does the problem persist with nothing except a USB cable connected to the board?

Did you have this problem with the board when you first got it?