I think the slight difference is that, in the case of cable TV you have to endure the commercials until they finish to access the content that interests you. In

I think the slight difference is that, in the case of cable TV you have to endure the commercials until they finish to access the content that interests you. In this particular case of the Kindle, ads are only on the lock screen and you simply need to unlock the device to access the content. Not as intrusive or dominating, a bit more tolerable. Of course, having the option to turn them off permanently is always nice.