I believe that when you fill it out online, it generates a bar code.
When you go to the office they merely scan the code and verify all the required information is there.
When you fill it out by hand, they have to manually enter it into the system.
I did mine a month or so ago..
Filled it out online and was in and out of the south office in about 45 minutes. That included a half hour in line a 7:30 am.
Got my new Passport about 2-1/2 weeks later.
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