The "maximize" button in Mac OS X isn't really a "maximize" button at all, it is called the Zoom Button.
There is a way to make it work like the maximize button does under Linux and Windows, and that way is called Right Zoom.
You can download it here: http://www.blazingtools.com/downloads.html#RightZoom.
You can read more about it at one of the following sites:
http://www.brighthub.com/computing/mac-platform/articles/31024.aspx
http://www.switchingtomac.com/tutorials/make-the-os-x-maximize-button-work-like-windows/