Originally Posted by danielhaden
SRAM S7 is an identical option, but is far lower geared, --useful if you live in the mountains or San Francisco. While the insides are slightly more durable in hilly areas, the $40 outboard shifter is an annoyance when you crunch it.
The SRAM S7 and the Shimano hub have roughly the same range (303% for the SRAM, 307% for the nexus 8) so the S7 certainly isn't "far lower geared"! Obviously the gears you get depend on the chainring/sprocket combination.