I read a number of the posts, and I guess I would approach the use of SQL Monitor and the iPad from a different standpoint?

First, when I was hired at this company 3++ years ago, I became an "accidental DBA". My hiring manager indicated that 80% of my time would be DBA-based activities and 20% Systems Analyst. In the beginning, that was probably true, I spent the majority of my time automating a lot of the SQL tasks. Now I spend 80% of my time being a Systems Analyst and pushing the much-needed DB (the "A" seems to have been forgotten) tasks off until needed or worse, when something breaks.

SQL Monitor could help with the overall monitoring of our systems, helping me in reviewing the system performance and especially the long running queries that tend to plague our servers. Often, these queries do not come to light until one of the Sales/Marketing Staff bring something to my attention. Having good monitoring tools would not only highlight the problems but reduce some of the System Analyst activities by correcting the database issues that everyone tends to put off. Maybe we could put the "A" back in DBA?

The iPad would have dual uses: first, the obvious ability to monitor the servers remotely, hopefully ending the battle with a 6-year old over desktop computer time at home; don't get me started on the wife and trying to use the laptop! Second, help in the pursuit of certificates and additional knowledge. I recently read on Tech Republic "Headhunters and human resources departments love IT certifications." At my previous company I did that a lot, but over the last 5-6 years (kids, marriage, new job, moving cross country) I have been lax in that area.