I've added the smb components that have been recommended throughout various sources. I can bookmark the network drives to a windows server with no problems. I am using the "files" [as it states in the about tab].. but to open a program and not have the ability to access the network sources without going through the "files" and doing several copying routines to work on a file is time consuming.
Is it not possible for Ubuntu to make those network drives available to the programs installed. i.e. the "save"/"save as" dialogs in the various programs, or is something that has to be enabled in each program... It's one of the only little annoyances that I've encountered since revisiting Ubuntu after a few years