"I am all ears for a GUI solution as I don't know what that is."
Good grief!
In Mepis (and KDE generally)
Samba user: Start > Settings > Samba > Users > Add
Share folder: Right click on folder > Properties > Share > Add
Exactly how much easier do you want it to be?
And no, OpenOffice can't handle some complex MSOffice documents, but then neither can older versions of MSOffice (backward compatibility of MSOffice is notoriously poor so that punters are forced to upgrade to the latest and greatest). Actually, OpenOffice also handles older MSOffice documents with aplomb and will even open corrupted documents that MSOffice refuses (Tip: good rescue system).
Note that MSOffice documents are stored in a secret proprietary MS format, so OpenOffice in fact does extraordinarily well. To get away from vendor "lock-in" (and MSs' predatory pricing), the world is moving to Open Document Format [ODF], so the playing-fields may soon be levelled.
The "problem" is that a fair number of Microsoft users are disturbed that any other operating system should exist (except maybe Apple for the oddballs) and even more confused that several of the alternative offerings are free.
The braver ones try it, and after a quick nervous pokearound they pronounce them unusable and go back to the Windows womb. Forgetting that they also had to learn how to do things in Windows, they are upset that Linux isn't a free Windows clone.
I can understand why Bill Gates wants there to be only one operating system and only one Office suite in the universe, but quite why so many ordinary Windows users feel the same way is bizarre. Maybe deep down they know that somewhere along the line they've been gypped by a megacorp that does NOT have their best interests at heart.
By the same argument, Boeing should be the only large aircraft vendor ('cos conversion to Airbus is SO difficult).
So please, stick to Microsoft Windows, pay the money, put up with the malware, the proprietary formats and the way MS thinks you should work.
For the rest of you, there are excellent alternatives.
VISTA: Viruses Infections Spyware Trojans Adware
