[Usability] Grid-based "static sizing" option

["Blake Hyde" <syrion gmail com>]

Recently, while reading the discussion on Slashdot about the
Apple-sponsored productivity study, I came across some comments discussing
the usability of the maximize button on large screens and dual screens.  The
most common opinion seemed to be that having a single window taking up the
whole screen isn't useful, and that height is the most desirable dimension
in terms of text.  I agree with these sentiments, and started thinking about
ways the usefulness of maximization and window tiling could be improved.

I had this idea:  grid-based toggleable "maximization."

The screen would be divided into some number of sectors:
_ _ _ _ _
|_|_|_|_|_|
|_|_|_|_|_|
|_|_|_|_|_|
|_|_|_|_|_|

When you click and hold the button on the maximize button, you would get a
small menu with this diagram in it, somewhat similar to the 'create table'
toolbar icon in Microsoft Word.  You set the size of the window there, so
that it takes up (for example) a 2x4 grid of sectors.  The screen would then
be sized to fit your preference.

The middle button of the three standard top-right widgets would no longer be
"maximize," it would be a toggle between the last two specified sizes, so
that you might have a 2x4 sector toggle and a 1x2 sector toggle.

This option would make widescreens and high resolutions more usable.

Blake Hyde