In Ubuntu, I right-click on a folder and select "sharing options," and specify
that it is to be shared, and a share name. It is exactly as complex as in
Windows. No unusual knowledge is needed, and there's no software to install or
configure. (The software is already installed and it requires no configuration.)

To use a shared folder, I open the Place "Network," and double-click my way to a
shared folder (workgroup, computer, share name). Just like Windows. No unusual
knowledge is needed, and no software needs to be installed or configured.