Shuttle took a huge step forward with the new KD22 model, since its performance is much better than that of the older KD20 and the firmware update comes with several new capabilities (a firmware Live Update function, for example). The stronger hardware of the KD22 even allows it to cope with multiple procedures running simultaneously well, and while the KD20 can't handle the media server and bittorrent client function at the same time, the new KD22 definitely does. The CPU and RAM upgrades not only allow for much faster transfer speeds, but also enable the unit to easily cope with demanding services that may run in the background. Shuttle still has a long road to cover before their NAS products sport the same functionality and come with the same features as the much more experienced competition in this area, but the KD22's price/performance ratio is high regardless, and its elegant design and high-quality casing are definitely not indicative of its affordable price. I was very happy to see the KD22 offer some features even high-end NAS models lack, like those USB 3.0 ports at the front or the numbered HDD trays, or its incredibly low power consumption and the aluminum enclosure that plays so beautifully into the unit's quiet operation.

The most significant weakness is its rather poor option set in the OS, which, however, is easy to use. Shuttle needs to invest more time into developing it further while also offering some of the functionality the competition has offered for quite some time now, like a monitoring/status page, iSCSI support, and a windowed operating system, which would definitely look more appealing to the novice user.

To sum up, the KD22 is a NAS that is worth every penny of its affordable price. The fact that it comes with a built-in Wi-Fi card, which allows it to act as a hot-spot, is a great plus for home and SOHO use, but I would personally like the option to shut it down when I don't need it, which Shuttle forgot to include in their firmware. They will most likely do so after reading this review since they are open to suggestions and are willing to improve their products. The KD22 will definitely serve you very well as a small, elegant NAS box if your needs aren't extremely high.