Weird question about how you read using the internet

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Ok when you are reading lets say a story on the net is your window maximized the whole way or can you see some desktop. This can be on a laptop or a regular monitor. This can also work when you are using a word processor.

I am too weird to understand the question

Maximized, or turn it up to F11 (fullscreen).

I almost never maximise anything even when I have multiple screens or desktops.

I will usually maximize the window.

However, any decently formatted story should not take up all of my screen, but only a small portion of it; Otherwise it becomes difficult to read.

I think this is a unix&mac vs Windows question...

IMHO Unixes are generally unusable with only one screen open or one fullscreen application. This is most likely a consequence of being an academic, mostly user build, OS where users tend to be working on many different things at the same time. Unix has always been a multi-task OS. Note that unix users historically tend to buy the largest screen available within their budget, often spending more on the screen then the computer.

The same kind of applies to the Mac OS X, only to a lesser degree. It's not unusable like other unixes but it tends to works better when none-fullscreen and it does not really have a simple "fullscreen" function in most apps. Only the bigger single-function apps (powerpoint, Garageband, keynote, etc) tend to take up a lot of screen space, which can be full screen on a smaller screen. The Mac is designed/marketed most successfully at the digital professional user who gets to decide what he/she is going to use. These users tend have quite large screens.

On the other hand Windows seems to be designed to be single task/use only. This is all due to it being in essence an enterprise OS, marketed mostly at the IT department not the users in the cubicle. To a long time unix user like myself all the apps seem greedy and want to take the whole screen whether you want it or not. In Windows full screen just works better. Windows users, especially in the cubicles, also tend to have smaller screens then unix or mac users.

And let not forget the ultimate full-screen applications: games. The single-task preference designed into Windows make it a much better Game OS then any unix (incl. Mac OS X) ever could.

I think that people who grew up with Windows or use Windows often will have learned to work in full screen mode, while unix users (and to a lesser degree Mac users) tend to use apps none-full screen.

on a laptop or other small screen: maximized
on my large working screen most apps are not maximized

Always maximized; I just think it looks weird and all jumbled having my desktop showing while I'm on the internet.

I hardly ever maximize windows.

Right now I have my internet browser in the middle, with about 1-2 inches of space on each side.
On the left you can see a bit of desktop, but most is covered up with stickies (virtual post-its) and on the right there's a bit of an msn window and behind that my itunes window.

I use wide-screen displays. I don't like windows maximized. It often distorts the balance of the screen arrangement (most applications are designed with a given screen width in mind).

Maximised.

I have sensory issues, ADHD and AS/HFA. Can't very well work intensely on less than full screen for long!

normal

For reading, I like to keep the window narrow - so there aren't too many words per line. I find my eyes get lost if there are more than 10-12 words on a line. If the lines of text get too long (for instance, if the web page has a fixed width) I get tired & frustrated quickly. It makes it very hard for me to concentrate & my comprehension goes way down. But if I can change the size of the window to make the lines short, I find that I can read for long periods of time & tend to enjoy it more.

I think this is why most newspapers & magazines have the text formatted in narrow columns - to make it easier for people to scan.

I usually have something I consider pretty on the desktop, so to work I must maximize. Otherwise I get distracted.

But, I never have pidgin, rhythmbox, or transmission maximized, I always have them on the tray. So it's really only Firefox.