Yah it takes about two minutes on MS if all computers are running 2000 or above. And ON DIY OS installs you configure it in the setup so really no time at all.
To accomplish the same basic functionality on a Linux LAN takes considerably more time in part because it is a more robust platform. But the front end GUI for Samba is anything but intuitive, the help files almost useless, the advanced guides read like a commitment to mastering the first three chapters of Capital. There are no setup wizards which translate what the user wants into settings. So the Linux community can keep telling itself it is superior to MS or even MAC at the back end but the issue for the average user is not the sophistication of the back end but the ease of use on the front end. It is going to take a real revolution in the Linux culture to change this.
Travis