Another iPad-related consumer survey: this time comScore has just come out with data from a poll of 2,176 US adults, conducted earlier this month, about interest in the iPad and purchase intent. The survey shows the same levels of aided awareness for the iPad and Kindle; and, interestingly, it shows that 6% of respondents have purchased a Kindle while 1% report purchasing an iPad.

In the next three months, the survey reports, 14% of respondents are "seriously considering" buying the Kindle and 15% of respondents are considering the iPad. Here's some discussion of the findings from the release:

Consumers were asked several questions regarding their awareness of various e-readers and tablet devices and their past purchase behavior or intent to purchase these devices. The results showed very high awareness of the iPad out of the gate, with an aided awareness of 65 percent, the same as that of the Amazon Kindle e-reader. Overall, consumers have demonstrated a high level of interest in these types of devices with between 58 percent and 69 percent of consumers having conducted online research of the top five devices. Amazon Kindle rated highest in terms of current device ownership at 6 percent of all Internet users, followed by Sony Reader at 4 percent. The iPad rated highest in terms of consumers seriously considering purchase over the next three months at 15 percent of Internet users, with the Kindle at 14 percent.

As the quoted passage above reflects -- and perhaps the most striking numbers in this survey -- 66% and 69% of users said they had conducted online research about the iPad and Kindle respectively. If those numbers can be extrapolated at all it means that there's potentially substantial demand that could be unlocked if the iPad turns out to be at all worthwhile.

Here are a few additional findings (verbatim from the release):

• Male and female survey participants had nearly identical favorability around the choice of the name “iPad” In the case of both genders, approximately 49 percent had a positive impression of the name, 27 percent were indifferent, and 24 percent had a negative impression.
• While ownership of an iPhone or iPod Touch was a strong predictor of those who have already ordered an iPad, it was not a strong predictor of purchase intent. 3 percent of iOwners had already purchased the iPad compared to 1 percent of non-iOwners, but 15 percent of each consumer segment indicated an intention to purchase the device in the next three months.
• iOwners had significantly higher awareness of the iPad than non-iOwners, with 84 percent of iOwners having heard of the iPad compared to 61 percent of non-iOwners. 22 percent of iOwners also indicated they had seen an iPad commercial on TV compared to just 12 percent of non-iOwners.
• The most important device attributes (top 2 boxes on a 7-point scale) that consumers indicated they would like to have included in the iPad were: ability to use multiple applications/programs at once (43 percent), having a screen the same size as a laptop or desktop computer (37 percent) and having a built-in camera (34 percent). Among iOwners, the percentages were substantially higher at 56, 66 and 51 percent, respectively.

Below are the stated usage intentions. People appear to be, at least at this stage, less interested in this device as a gaming platform than as an Internet and email device, as well as a media pad for consuming magazines, newspapers, video and music. 

Last week the Wall Street Journal cited unnamed sources for the proposition that Apple had already sold "hundreds of thousands" of iPad units. I suppose the truth will out.