I not only maximize the browser window, but use zoom functions to makes sure the site basically fills the screen. I think I must sit further back from my monitors than most people, as I always use a 125% zoom on monitors that most people seem to think don’t need it. (And I HATE what Windows 10 did to make the system font shrink back to normal in that situation.)
I liken having a bunch of windows on screen to having a bunch of papers on a desk, all haphazardly arranged. Most of the time, I’m working on one thing, so all I want is one paper on my desk. And so I might as well use all the space.
Though, on my Linux box, I don’t maximize the file manager windows. I have found that at least that is easier with multiple windows, instead of the way Windows handles it. The problem is, Explorer is clearly optimized for single window use.
My laptop has a 13 1/2 inch screen. I like my browser window minimized as it’s more comfortable reading that way. On certain websites, I have to have it full size but I reduce it as soon as I leave that site. Having a tape measure handy, I see that it is currently about 7 1/2 inches wide, which is just about right for the Dope and many other sites I go to.
I have two monitors, one of 24" and one of 23". Both 16:10 aspect ratio.
My browser is usually on the 24" monitor, which has a resolution of 1920x1200 pixels.
I never maximize the browser unless i’m doing something in the browser where maximization is actually helpful, like maybe reading Google books or archive.org books in two-page mode. Most of the time, the browser is about 2/3 to 3/4 of screen width. Also, i have my browser bookmarks in a sidebar rather than at the top, meaning that the actual window part of my browser is, much of the time, a good couple of inches narrower than the browser itself.
About the only applications that i use full-screen are video players (movies, TV shows, etc.), video editors like Adobe Premiere, (some) Excel spreadsheets, and Adobe Lightroom and Photoshop for photo editing. Everything else—browsers, email, word processing, PDFs, etc., etc.—is done at significantly less than full-screen width.
I have actually been tempted to make one of my monitors vertical to optimize vertical space for things like long documents, but i figured that it’s not really necessary. Also, i know that, in the past at least, vertical monitors could mess with the sub-pixel font rendering, making text less clear and sharp. I’m not sure if that’s still an issue.
I don’t like to maximize because the screen is so wide - I’d get whiplash reading long paragraphs! :eek: Instead, the height is almost max and the width is centered and about 2/3 of the screen, leaving icons on either side easily visible. I hate when my husband uses this computer - he always maxes out the browser. Fortunately, he mostly stays with his laptop.