It's always better to spin than to mash, particularly with an IGH. That said, you can of course vary the entire gear range to your needs by changing the chainring/sprocket ratio. My housemate has a bike fitted with an Alfine 8. This is basically a 7-speed with an extra low first gear, using the same idea as a 'megarange' cassette. I use a 3-speed sturmey archer hub, which, having seen the internals, will probably take almost anything you throw at it.