How to Read iBook on a MacBook Pro

Question

Level 2

224 points

How to Read iBook on a MacBook Pro

We are new to the iPad and my wife downloaded some iBooks to the
iPad and we have them synced or backed up on the MacBook Pro.

Double-clicking on the iBook in iTunes does not work. What OS X
application is required to be able to read the book we paid for at
the Apple Store on the MacBook Pro?

We looked and could not find an iBooks app for OS X.

 24" iMac, 13" MB Pro and 32 GB iPad , Mac OS X (10.6.6)

Posted on Jan 24, 2011 8:52 AM

Reply

Answer 1

Philly_Phan

Level 7

20,707 points

Jan 24, 2011 8:59 AM in response to aRKay

You can't read them on the Mac. That's only for backup purposes. You need to use the iPad.

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Answer 2

King_Penguin

Level 10

334,144 points

Jan 24, 2011 9:01 AM in response to aRKay

As far as I am aware you can only read them in the iBooks app - so only on the iPad, iPhone, or iPod Touch

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Answer 3

Rudegar

Level 10

170,748 points

Jan 24, 2011 9:12 AM in response to aRKay

if they are not DRM then any reader which can do epub like stanza can open and read them

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Answer 4

aRKay Author

Level 2

224 points

Jan 24, 2011 9:16 AM in response to Philly_Phan

That really *****! You can even read Kindle books on Mac but not Apple Store iBooks?

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Answer 5

Jan 24, 2011 9:18 AM in response to aRKay

Well, I think you'll eventually be able to do that directly whenever iBooks gets added on to the App Store that got beta'ed out with 10.6.6. Until then, there was some sort of a half-baked workaround being discussed in here a week or two ago; you could probably find that thread fairly easily.

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Answer 6

aRKay Author

Level 2

224 points

Jan 24, 2011 9:29 AM in response to Michael Morgan1

I looked and could not find a link to a workaround or a beta version for OS X. An OS X version
of iBooks will be nice addition.

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Answer 7

Jan 24, 2011 9:35 AM in response to aRKay

I thought that 10.6.6 debuted the App Store in OS X but I was wrong about that. Apparently it runs on all flavors of Snow Leopard. See http://www.apple.com/mac/app-store/

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Answer 8

aRKay Author

Level 2

224 points

Jan 24, 2011 9:42 AM in response to Michael Morgan1

I have not been able to find an OS X version of iBooks. I am using OS X 10.6.6 and the
Apple Store had nothing about iBooks. Hopefully, Apple will release an OS X version
of iBooks. Until then we can only use Apple iBooks on the iPad as we do not have an
iPhone.

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Answer 9

varjak paw

Level 10

170,200 points

Jan 24, 2011 10:29 AM in response to Michael Morgan1

The App Store only comes as part of 10.6.6 (that's the update referred to when it says "for any version of Snow Leopard"). But it's not really germane to the subject; there is no Mac OS X (nor Windows) version of iBooks.

Regards.

P.S. The App Store is not a beta, though it certainly is lacking in some features.

Message was edited by: Dave Sawyer

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Answer 10

aRKay Author

Level 2

224 points

Jan 24, 2011 5:46 PM in response to aRKay

I just checked the "Answered" box and the answer is it cannot be done.

Hopefully, Apple has an iBook reader for OS X going in the back room for
release to the rest of us sometime in the not too distant future. It will be
a nice addition to OS X

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Answer 11

varjak paw

Level 10

170,200 points

Jan 25, 2011 6:28 AM in response to aRKay

I think we all hope so. Meanwhile, Kindle, Nook and the Google bookstore are alternatives; they all have apps for reading their books on computers as well as the iPad.

Regards.

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Answer 12

Jibzm

Level 1

0 points

Nov 15, 2011 5:31 AM in response to aRKay

I have to work on my iphone for some books. I recently buy a MBP and was disapointed that there's no app to read DRM epub on Macbookpro! Where is the compatibility philosophy of Apple ???

Can't wait an app to do this!!! Come on Apple !

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