The Maximize jelly in OS X that makes a screen the full size that the screen should be is great. The command that it runs is called Zoom. There’s another one to minimize screens, as well. The minimize has a keystroke mapped of Command-Shift-M. I use it all the time. You can also map a keystroke to make the windows bigger, invoking that Zoom command. Sometimes, when I plug and unplug the monitor on my desk at work at take my laptop home, I end up with windows stuck where the jellies (what those little buttons in the top corner of the screen are called) are above the menu bar and I can’t click them. So the keystroke helps as it basically resizes for me.
To map the keystroke to maximize a screen, first open System Preferences from the Apple menu and open the Keyboard System Preference pane. Then click on the Shortcuts tab and then App Shortcuts in the list of shortcuts. Then click on the + button at the bottom of the list. By default, you’ll see All Applications as the Application your keystroke will work in, but if you only need to do this in certain apps, you can select one instead.
Next, in the Menu Title field, enter Zoom which is the name of that command from earlier. Click in the Keyboard Shortcut field and enter a key combination you’d like to use. On mine it’s mapped to Control-Command-M. Then click on the Add button.
Nice and easy. You might have to restart apps to pick up the new keystroke but usually you do not. Enjoy.
Oh, and if you’re interested in scripting this as part of your imaging process, see Defaults & symbolichotkeys in Mac OS X.
