There's no such thing as "intuitive", there's only what you've become used to.
All the things that annoy you are "intuitive" to me.
You could probably code a maximizing script in Automator in a matter of minutes and bind that thing to a keyboard shortcut if it bothers you that much. I think the fact that most people don't is a sign that maximization isn't that great an idea once you get un-used to it.
Hmmm... I think most people don't do this because they quickly find out they'll never hear the last of it if they say they don't like it ;)
(Also, Automator isn't the easiest thing in the world to figure out - Apple Script isn't terribly well documented, and I've never once seen the Record option record anything useful.)
Fortunately, ShiftIt fixes the problem nicely, and for free. (There are also programs you can pay for, which are probably a bit slicker.) So, no problem.
All the things that annoy you are "intuitive" to me.
You could probably code a maximizing script in Automator in a matter of minutes and bind that thing to a keyboard shortcut if it bothers you that much. I think the fact that most people don't is a sign that maximization isn't that great an idea once you get un-used to it.