well, I ended up getting my wife her own computer for her camera stuff (she didn't want internet access, though I bought a wireless router... she said the internet was too much a distraction while she was working on her photography...hehehe)
They say the way to a man's heart is through his stomach, but I am a better cook than any woman I have ever dated, and my wife, well, lets just say she can now make microwave popcorn, as long as I dont change brands on her...
There are many ways to get him to let you use his machine.
Encourage him to do a poker night weekly, or go out with freinds for something, like a game... around here a lot of meetings, like at the local mini-brewry they have a "Code & Beer Bash" every month.
lots of ideas. My wife often tapes sports events I would like to watch, then pops in the tape when we sit down for dinner, by the time she is done eating, I am watching the main event, and she slinks over to the computer for a little surf'n.
Or she can send me out to do some work around the house, or even go help my dad on his farm.
<thinking about it, she has me pretty well figured out, eh?
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or you can just make him sleepy