Oh, but there are inherent differences: DSLRs are larger, giving them more space internally for electronics, and have larger batteries to power those extra electronics.

This results in more processing power in the DSLR, speeding up target acquisition, capture, and storage of photos, which makes the handling much more responsive. For now, at least.

Oh, and most DSLRs still use CompactFlash cards for storage, which are way faster than the smaller cards typically used in compact cameras. This reduces buffering requirements, and makes the DSLRs faster again.