As an alternative to general purpose Windows or Linux servers, Promise SmartStor NSx7000 appliances have much to offer. They're well built, quick and very configurable, with lots of options beyond simple network storage sharing. The NAS market, however, is highly competitive and when it comes to configuration and management the Promise solution comes in second best. It does what it's supposed to, but others do it better and require far less technical expertise to fully exploit what NAS appliances like the SmartStor NSx700 have to offer.