Thanks for all your input on my baby carrier question. I ordered and received my Ergo a while back, and I'm ready to tell you what I think of it.
In a nutshell, I really like my Ergo. Not quite love, but really, really like it. It is easy to use, easy to adjust, very comfortable and durable. The only things that I wish were different is less padding (I live in a very warm climate) and I wish the baby could face outward in front, though I suspect that wouldn't be as healthy for the baby's spine.
The built-in storage pouch has plenty of room for the basic essentials: checkbook, a diaper or two, small package of wipes, cell phone.
The sleep hood easily adjusts from our 3 month old baby to our 2yo, with plenty of room for a still bigger child.
The carrier itself was very intuitive: it came with no video, no written instructions, and yet I had it on for the first time in less than a minute. I was easily able to figure out the front carry for our baby and the back carry for our toddler. I'm less than thrilled with the hip carry, but maybe that's just not my thing.
My infant and toddler both love it, and both fell asleep 10 minutes into their first ride. The sleep hood worked very well for both of them, though I needed help getting it onto the toddler since she rode on my back.
Incidentally, I had no trouble using it without the newborn insert when our son was 2 months old. He rode comfortably and securely, with plenty of support. Your own experience may be different, but I'm glad I tried it without the additional $26 expense.
It's a snap to "load" and "unload" by yourself, front and back. Adjustments are just as easy.
It really does put the weight of the child on your hips rather than back or shoulders. I had some bad habits from other carriers, but once I learned to relax my shoulders and let the carrier do its job I found that I could carry our toddler with no strain at all.
I do wish I could crumple it up really small and cram it in my diaper bag for easy portability, but that's not happening. As it is, it folds up rather compactly and would probably fit in the top of my diaper bag if I remember to leave room for it.
Other than my three small complaints (no forward-facing front carry option; a bit too much padding; and not terribly compact), I pretty much love it. I think it was well worth the expense and although I haven't tried every carrier out there, I'm inclined to believe those who say it's the best.
To sum it up:
Pros

• intuitive
• easy load and unload w/o help
• front and back carry
• roomy built-in pouch
• durable
• ergonomic and comfortable

Cons

• expensive (but worth it, if you can swing the cost)
• no forward-facing front carry (although you can try it; I did)
• a little sweaty in hot climates
• rather bulky

If you're ready to buy, My Favorite Baby Carrier occasionally has some returned Ergo baby carriers for sale at the discounted price of $78 with free shipping. They also offer many of the accessories at a discount. This is where I bought my Ergo.
These are items that were returned within the 90 day guarantee period, so they are practically new. They come with the same 90 day money back trial period, and returns are few and far between.
If I had paid full price, I would have ordered from Nurtured Family, which is run by a homeschooling family (how cool is that?!). They have the Ergo for just $92 with free shipping. I have already been in contact with them and feel a little bad now for not buying from them, but they just couldn't beat the price I found on returned items.

Hubby found me a Baby Bjorn at the Goodwill, so I have been able to compare the two. The Baby Bjorn does allow the forward-facing front carry and it was also pretty easy to figure out. It shares many of the advantages of the Ergo with a lower price tag, but I think it would become a strain with a heavier baby. It also shares 2 of the disadvantages: it's even warmer and less compact than the Ergo. It has no built-in storage pouch.
I can see why many people love it, but I'm sticking with my Ergo.
I am still curious about the Mei Tai and something else very similar to the Ergo - I can't find the name of it now, but it sounds something like Paduman Baby, and I thinks it is from the UK. Does that ring a bell for anyone? It sounds very much like the Ergo but with less padding and cheaper.
Why didn't I bookmark the site? (smacking myself in the forehead)

update: the other carrier is a Patapum. Thanks to Nicole for the name!

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