[fpgeek]

People will just buy different Android phones from someone else.

We've already been through this. AT&T (uniquely among US carriers, I believe) blocked non-Market applications on all of their devices. The success of the Amazon Appstore forced them to change that policy.

[mcpherrinm]

Saying "the success" was what caused it isn't really accurate, though.

If it hadn't been for a large, US corporation lobbying AT&T to allow their product on the handsets, would it have gone through?

A future where AT&T allows the Amazon and Google app stores only is still one that could happen.