(Image courtesy of AppleInsider)

Amazon’s top dogs are likely having some sleepless nights following Apple’s iPad introduction in late January, with a new survey showing that one in four current e-reader owners would have purchased an iPad instead.

After conducting a survey of 3,171 consumers the week after Apple’s introduction of the iPad, ChangeWave notes that despite the Kindle’s long head start, Amazon is going to have a tough time competing, according to AppleInsider.

“In particular, while a handful of e-reader manufacturers -- most prominently Amazon -- clearly have a major head start,” ChangeWave reports, “the survey findings show the iPad is poised to profoundly shake up this market.”

A full 40 percent of those asked about their e-reader purchase plans in the next 90 days planted their feet firmly in the iPad camp, compared with 28 percent for Amazon’s Kindle and a mere six percent and one percent for Barnes & Noble’s Nook and Sony’s Reader, respectively.

Amazon is currently at the head of the pack where e-readers are concerned, with 68 percent of ChangeWave respondents who already own an e-reader and only 10 percent owning a Sony Reader.

“While the iPad launch is likely to strengthen overall e-reader demand, the survey suggests Amazon and its competitors could well find themselves relegated to playing catch-up within just a few quarters if they don’t preemptively move quickly to upgrade their own e-reader products,” ChangeWave summarized.

Most telling, 27 percent of those who already own an e-reader said that they would have chosen an iPad, if it were available at the time. That’s one in every four e-reader owners, although 45 percent also said they were happy with their current choice and 30 percent said they didn’t know.

Apple’s $499 starting price for the iPad appears to be weighing in its favor, although it’s not entirely a rosy picture: The lack of a camera, no support for Adobe Flash and no multitasking have been frequently cited as reasons many consumers will pass on the device, at least for now.