For many years I didn’t realize that the green button was open for the programmer to decide.
If they wanted to make it maximize, they could. Or they could have it do something wierd.
Switch to the Finder and try this:
Shift-click on it: Maximize
Option-click on it: Cascade all open windows.
Awesome! Now why not allow the user to decide what they want it to do via a Preference Pane?
While we’re on the subject of Finder tips, try option-double clicking on a titlebar while you have several windows open. They all go into the dock!
Lastly, about the resizing. I’ve been using a utility called Zooom that gives you a nifty way of resizing… check it out!

Respond | Cheer this | 9 months ago (Nov 07, 02:49AM)

You can use a program called Stoplight to make the zoom button maximize. It will also quit a program when you click the close button and it’s the last open window for the application.

http://lifehacker.com/software/mac-os-x/download-of-the-day-stoplight-mac-202621.php

Respond | Cheer this | 11 months ago (Sep 29, 12:05PM)

Great article on this exact subject here:
http://theappleblog.com/2007/04/09/hey-apple-fix-the-green-button-already/

Respond | Cheer this | 11 months ago (Sep 28, 11:24AM)

When I click on the Finder’s Green maximize button, I expect it to maximize. Maximize buttons have done this since X Windows and NextStep (that Windows’ interface was quite closely modeled on) and used to work in older versions of the Mac OS (6.0.8 through 9.x from memory). Apple munted (Australian slang for stuffed) this in OS X. The key thing about user interfaces is meeting user expectations. I expect a maximize button to maximize and a minimize button to minimize. The OS X finder’s Minimize button minimizes, but the maximize button doesn’t maximize. This is a proverbial pain in the posterior. Oh, and allowing users to use window edges to resize windows wouldn’t be that painful to implement would it??? You’ve got Unix – now use it!!!

PeterSW

Respond | Cheer this | 11 months ago (Sep 27, 09:14AM)