Printing question

["Alan & Kerry Shrimpton" <loverslane.poodles@ihug.co.nz>]

Hi,

I know most people have their Linux box connected to the net.  I have my
windows machine.

I know most people probably have their printers connected to their Linux
machine.  I have it connected to my windows machine.

Seriously, aren't newbies like myself trying to find an alternative to
windows?  I have a working windows machine.  Why pull it apart to try Linux.
I want to add Linux to the windows machine and work on it to see if I like
it.  Keep my windows connected to my scanner, Internet and printer.  Get my
Linux using it all as my 2nd machine.  Slowly migrate it as my main computer
if I like it.  Isn't that what most newbies do?

That is my situation and now to my real question.

1.  How the heck do I see my windows machine on my Linux machine?
2.  How do I get my Linux machine to print using my printer hardware
connected to my windows machine?

No doubt I need to install some packages but what ones?

Thanks in anticipation.  Cheers Al