What is the main purpose of using [CROSS APPLY][1]?

I have read (vaguely, through posts on the Internet) that `cross apply` can be more efficient when selecting over large data sets if you are partitioning. (Paging comes to mind)

I also know that `CROSS APPLY` doesn&#39;t require a UDF as the right-table.

In most `INNER JOIN` queries (one-to-many relationships), I could rewrite them to use `CROSS APPLY`, but they always give me equivalent execution plans. 

Can anyone give me a good example of when `CROSS APPLY` makes a difference in those cases where `INNER JOIN` will work as well?


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**Edit:**

Here&#39;s a trivial example, where the execution plans are exactly the same.  (Show me one where they differ and where `cross apply` is faster/more efficient)

    create table Company (
    	companyId int identity(1,1)
    ,	companyName varchar(100)
    ,	zipcode varchar(10) 
    ,	constraint PK_Company primary key (companyId)
    )
    GO
    
    create table Person (
    	personId int identity(1,1)
    ,	personName varchar(100)
    ,	companyId int
    ,	constraint FK_Person_CompanyId foreign key (companyId) references dbo.Company(companyId)
    ,	constraint PK_Person primary key (personId)
    )
    GO
    
    insert Company
    select &#39;ABC Company&#39;, &#39;19808&#39; union
    select &#39;XYZ Company&#39;, &#39;08534&#39; union
    select &#39;123 Company&#39;, &#39;10016&#39;
    
    
    insert Person
    select &#39;Alan&#39;, 1 union
    select &#39;Bobby&#39;, 1 union
    select &#39;Chris&#39;, 1 union
    select &#39;Xavier&#39;, 2 union
    select &#39;Yoshi&#39;, 2 union
    select &#39;Zambrano&#39;, 2 union
    select &#39;Player 1&#39;, 3 union
    select &#39;Player 2&#39;, 3 union
    select &#39;Player 3&#39;, 3 
    
    
    /* using CROSS APPLY */
    select *
    from Person p
    cross apply (
    	select *
    	from Company c
    	where p.companyid = c.companyId
    ) Czip
    
    /* the equivalent query using INNER JOIN */
    select *
    from Person p
    inner join Company c on p.companyid = c.companyId


  [1]: http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ms175156.aspx

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When should I use CROSS APPLY over INNER JOIN?