OK.
Right-click on the Icon you use to open Internet Explorer. Click on CREATE SHORTCUT.
On the new icon, right-click and click on PROPERTIES. On the SHORTCUT tab make sure MAXIMIZED is set in the "RUN:" window.
Use this Icon to open Internet Explorer.
You can even delete the original Icon...even better, you can edit the title of the new icon to remove the "shortcut to..." bit!
CHEERS