Clicking safari dock open to open new window?

[toxicquack]

Hi guys.

Hope you can help. I have just coerced my folks into buy their first ever mac and I am helping them with a few tutorials on how to get things going. They did stump me with one request / question however.

Is it possible to make safari open a new browser window (once was is already open) by simply clicking the icon in the dock? I told then about the command-N option, but I don't think this will stick with them. Is there a setting or command I can input so that a new window will open every time they click the dock icon?

Hope this makes sense and thanks in advance!

EDIT: Title should read "Clicking safari dock ICON to open new window?" - my bad.

 

[Chase R]

⌘N ?

I don't think there is a way to do what your talking about.

 

[FSMBP]

Yeah, I wish there was an easy way to get a new window just because of how it was on Windows with Internet Explorer. Command+N isn't a big deal but still.

But, in Windows 7, Microsoft is using there new taskbar (aka Dock) and you can't click on it for a new window.

 

[MacManiac76]

I think the closest you're gonna get is to right-click on the dock icon and then select New Window from the menu that comes up.

 

[Sorkvild]

Unless they really need a new window for something specific, can't you just make a new tab? Double clicking empty tab bar space to make a new tab is quick and pretty much does the same thing.

 

[poolish]

you could make an applescript app that opens a safari window and put that in the dock..?

 

[FSMBP]

Unless they really need a new window for something specific, can't you just make a new tab? Double clicking empty tab bar space to make a new tab is quick and pretty much does the same thing.

Well, by default, Safari doesn't offer "Tab bar" unless you actually have tabs open. So, if you have a single window open - you can't do what you described.

But that is a nifty solution.

 

[devburke]

Well, by default, Safari doesn't offer "Tab bar" unless you actually have tabs open. So, if you have a single window open - you can't do what you described.

But that is a nifty solution.

View -> Show Tab Bar

But really, I'm not a tabs fan anyway. It defeats the greatness that is Exposé.

 

[Chase R]

View -> Show Tab Bar

But really, I'm not a tabs fan anyway. It defeats the greatness that is Exposé.

Having tabs is the best thing since sliced bread. Way better than multiple windows.

 

[devburke]

Having tabs is the best thing since sliced bread. Way better than multiple windows.

What advantages does it offer? Really it makes it harder to switch to the page you want, since you can't Exposé it.

 

[caduellery]

Hi guys.

Hope you can help. I have just coerced my folks into buy their first ever mac and I am helping them with a few tutorials on how to get things going. They did stump me with one request / question however.

Is it possible to make safari open a new browser window (once was is already open) by simply clicking the icon in the dock? I told then about the command-N option, but I don't think this will stick with them. Is there a setting or command I can input so that a new window will open every time they click the dock icon?

Hope this makes sense and thanks in advance!

EDIT: Title should read "Clicking safari dock ICON to open new window?" - my bad.

You can't use the Safari icon to directly open a new window (unless you right-click etc, which is boring), but you can create an Apple Script that always opens a new Safari window, assign a fancy icon to this script and place it on the Dock beside the Safari icon. This way you can always choose between the focus on already opened windows (clicking on Safari icon) or create a new window (clicking on the "New Safari Window" icon). Let's do it.

Open Apple Script Editor, make a new document and paste this code:

tell application "Safari"
    make new document
    activate
end tell

Go to File menu, then Export...
Give a name like "Safari - New Window", set a place to save like the "Applications" folder, choose "Application" for File Format and then check Run-Only. Save it.

With Finder, open the location where you just saved this new app. Right-click (or Ctrl+click) the application and go to Get Info menu. Now, download this icon, drag it onto the little "Apple Script" icon on the top left corner of the "Get Info" window already opened to assign the new icon to your app.

Finally, drag the application "Safari - New Window" to the Dock and drop it beside Safari. \o/