The debut of the Apple iPad may have been one of the worst-kept secrets in the technology business, but that didn't mean that Steve Jobs and company were without any surprises to spring on Apple fans during the device's launch this week. For one thing, it's sporting a new processor designed by Apple itself -- a change from previous devices that analysts say is likely to pay off in the performance department. Hardware Central has the story.

The Apple iPhone has been a game-changing device in many ways, but it will never win any performance awards. Its processors are underclocked, meaning set to run slower than they can, to reduce heat and conserve battery power. The result is a phone that is decidedly lacking in pep.

But the recently revealed Apple iPad looks to be much faster. At its launch Wednesday, Apple (NASDAQ: AAPL) CEO Steve Jobs said "it just screams."

Those who have had hands-on experience concur. "It is blazingly fast from what we can tell," wrote gadget blog Engadget.

"This thing is very fast," said Nathan Brookwood, research fellow with Insight 64, who attended the event. "You flip from landscape to portrait mode and before your hand has stopped moving the screen has caught up. That has not been my experience with the iPhone. So it's a very fast processor."

Read the full story at Hardware Central:
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