BTW, that "Gear" thing is only there if you leave it. It may be a part of the default set of icons.
I either removed it or it's not part of the default set. At any rate. Window
size and placement is still squirrely, IMHO. It's a carry over from the way Finder windows always 'tile' each time you open one than one at the same time. If you are extremely careful and
always close them
except for that first window, Finder will be able to remember where and what size that window was. Of course, if you
ever close that first window before any other the others, Finder simply forgets about it and reverts to the last open window position. That is not what I want and it is not what the prefs ever do, there is absolutely no way to always have a Finder window open in the same location on the first opening, at least not in Column View (and I couldn't care less about the others).
You
can tell Finder to open a new window in exactly the size you want if you perform the following:
Close all Finder windows
Open a Finder window
Select the item you normally want in the Side BarDO NOT TOUCH ANYTHING ELSE IN THAT WINDOW
HOLD YOUR BREATH UNTIL AFTER THE NEXT STEP!
Adjust the size (height and width) of the window
Double-cilck the little "||" icon at the bottom of the single column dividerIf you have moe then one column showing,
you didn't follow the directions above! 
Close the window
The next time you open a Finder window, it will be exactly hat size in exactly that location...unless you open another one and close the first one before any other one.
As for opening a window in different views each time, I assume you mean a particular folder in the same view each time. Perhaps Finder can do that, I've never ever tried it since I don't care for the space wasting icon, and list views. With Quick Look available, the thumbnail icon is not needed since a single press of the space bar shows the image at least ten times the size of the largest icon view.
But, at least we have a choice!
Someday, everyone else will do things the way they should: The way I do them!
BTW, I also feel the "View Options" menu should be part of Finder Preferences.
Also note that if you change the view and set the "Always show..." button in the View Options dialog, you will see that the button is checked from then on. Even if you change the view to a different one and then open the View Options dialog! What? I already said, "Always open in column view." Just because I decided change the view, just once, doesn't mean I want to change it for eternity (or longer)! While the checkbox stays checked, the label changes, depending on what view you happen to use!
Logic(?):
User says always open in column view.
"LOOK!
User has changed the view to something else on that column view window!"
PANIC!
"Quick! Change his choice to whatever view he has open and remember that one!""Wait, he changed it to another view!
Change everything, again!"
"No, don't leave, he's changed it back to...
"Oh never mind...we've got better things to do..."
Why bother saying "always" if you mean "mostly, until I see a different one." "Mean what you say and say what you mean! Even if you really meant something else?"
