And then you want to access a hidden folder, which on Windows or Linux you could just go to the address bar and type in the name. On OS X, I have yet to figure out how.
That's assuming it saw my network computers in the first place, of course. If I try to get to them too soon after booting, they simply never appear.
Type cmd-shift-g in Finder or just type a forward slash in an open or save dialog to bring up a path entry window, much like the old GTK file dialog.
To connect to a SMB system, use cmd-g and type smb://server/share
Many months of Mac frustration taught me these things.
That's assuming it saw my network computers in the first place, of course. If I try to get to them too soon after booting, they simply never appear.