This one will definitely fall into the "the answer was so simple I'm glad nobody knows I was having the problem" category. I've read many of the posts about the disappearing WINS settings, and the inability to find Windows shares on a LAN. Here's how I got it to work.
First, your workgroup info is now in the Networking pane of System Preferences, which is most likely where it should have been in the first place. Second, if you have the default setup and attempt to change your WINS info, it will revert to default. It seems that in 10.5, the 'Automatic' location has a rigid template for WINS that cannot be changed.
So, the painfully simple solution. Make a new template, then change your WINS information so that your NetBios name is something more fitting than Macintosh, and your workgroup is ... well, your workgroup. Apply, save changes, etc. Voila!
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