_PK_

Q: How can I read my iBooks on my PC?

Is it possible to read my iBooks on my PC

If yes, how do I do it?

If no - when is this going to be able to happen?

 

Thanks

 

I have a desktop PC with iTunes, but I have an Apple iPad with iBooks

I'm asking here in the iBooks forum as it relates to iBooks, I'll also ask in iPad because it relates to iPad as well

iPad, Windows 7

Posted on May 22, 2011 2:39 AM

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Q: How can I read my iBooks on my PC?

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  • by Carolyn Samit,

    Carolyn Samit Carolyn Samit May 22, 2011 2:40 AM in response to _PK_
    Level 10 (122,758 points)
    Apple Music
    May 22, 2011 2:40 AM in response to _PK_

    No. iBooks app is written for the iOS system.

  • by shadowhawk2008,

    shadowhawk2008 shadowhawk2008 May 23, 2011 12:05 AM in response to _PK_
    Level 1 (15 points)
    May 23, 2011 12:05 AM in response to _PK_

    Unfortunateley it's not possible to read iBooks on a computer since they come with DRM on them. This DRM prevents the books from being opened on anything other than iPads, iPhones and iPod Touches with the iBooks application and your Apple ID. It seems unlikely that Apple would release such an application to read iBooks on a computer but so far they've made no announcements so it's still a possibility. 

  • by Tom Gewecke,

    Tom Gewecke Tom Gewecke May 23, 2011 3:04 AM in response to shadowhawk2008
    Level 9 (79,395 points)
    May 23, 2011 3:04 AM in response to shadowhawk2008

    shadowhawk2008 wrote:

     

    It seems unlikely that Apple would release such an application to read iBooks on a computer but so far they've made no announcements so it's still a possibility. 

     

    Actually it is highly surprising that Apple has not yet released iBooks for Mac laptops/desktops, since all the competing ereaders have done so, which makes buying books from them much more attractive.  So I would think that a future release for OS X is very likely.  A release for Windows seems a lot less so...

  • by JavaJ,

    JavaJ JavaJ May 27, 2011 2:15 PM in response to Tom Gewecke
    Level 1 (60 points)
    May 27, 2011 2:15 PM in response to Tom Gewecke

    Not suprising- downright silly.  I am not a big reader- but decided to buy a few books for my iPad.  Couldn't find them in the iBookstore- but no problem with Amazon.  At least I can access them on any decice that the Kindle reader can run on- how silly that Apple is hampering their own success.  Why can't they at least allow it through iTunes- everything else goes through it.  Just silly!

  • by sirgunther,

    sirgunther sirgunther Jul 31, 2011 5:08 PM in response to JavaJ
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Jul 31, 2011 5:08 PM in response to JavaJ

    So, to be clear.

     

    I CANNOT read an iBook purchased from iTunes on my 27 iMac?

     

    However, I could download a book from amazon and read it on the Windows side of my Mac?

     

    Could I download a book from amazon and read it on a Mac?

     

    Thanks.

  • by Tom Gewecke,

    Tom Gewecke Tom Gewecke Jul 31, 2011 5:17 PM in response to sirgunther
    Level 9 (79,395 points)
    Jul 31, 2011 5:17 PM in response to sirgunther

    Any book you buy from the iBookstore says right on the purchase page that it requires an iOS device to be read.

     

    Amazon Kindle books can be read on all devices where you can run the Kindle.app.

  • by Geistwolke,

    Geistwolke Geistwolke Aug 15, 2011 8:26 AM in response to _PK_
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Aug 15, 2011 8:26 AM in response to _PK_

    So to be clear they remove the 'store' option from all of their competitors but not their own app.  And, unlike the competition, they are the only major ebook retailer to NOT have a Mac or PC option to read from.  Sorry this is not 'silly' it is downright pathetic or short-sighted.  Seems to serve their own needs and not address those of all their loyal customers.

  • by a c0mputer guru,

    a c0mputer guru a c0mputer guru Sep 30, 2011 8:22 PM in response to _PK_
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Sep 30, 2011 8:22 PM in response to _PK_

    Check out the following page: http://support.apple.com/kb/HT4059

     

    Please note that under "What are the requirements to use iBooks?", it states that iBooks uses the ePub format. Knowing this, I used a Firefox Add-In that reads ePub and read the free public domain stuff I downloaded (I guess "purchased" is the better word) on the iPhone 4. I found all of my iTunes files in my user folder, under My Music, iTunes, iTunes Media. I did a drag-n-drop onto a new tab I opened in Firefox and it opened perfectly fine and everything rendered properly...so I'm thinking that maybe Apple's DRM is supported by a freeware ePub reader?

     

    Just sayin...

  • by Tom Gewecke,

    Tom Gewecke Tom Gewecke Sep 30, 2011 8:31 PM in response to a c0mputer guru
    Level 9 (79,395 points)
    Sep 30, 2011 8:31 PM in response to a c0mputer guru

    a c0mputer guru wrote:

     

    so I'm thinking that maybe Apple's DRM is supported by a freeware ePub reader?

     

     

    You are thinking wrong.  When you have actually bought a book from the ibookstore with drm and read it with your Firefox or anything else on your Mac or PC, do come back here and tell us the name of the book.

     

    Why do you think that you "purchased"  the "free public domain stuff" you downloaded, or that it has DRM?

  • by crs Stanley,

    crs Stanley crs Stanley Nov 16, 2011 1:43 PM in response to a c0mputer guru
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Nov 16, 2011 1:43 PM in response to a c0mputer guru

    guru is correct, minus the supposition around "DRM' and "purchased" and "free domain stuff" which is not relevant ala correct or incorrect. the solution works and that is what the original post was requesting "can i read my iBook downloads on my PC"

     

    btw- Tom Every book i have "purchased" has been opened by my firefox add-on... Acceptance is the answer to your problems

     

     

    < Edited by Host >

  • by Tom Gewecke,

    Tom Gewecke Tom Gewecke Nov 16, 2011 7:45 AM in response to crs Stanley
    Level 9 (79,395 points)
    Nov 16, 2011 7:45 AM in response to crs Stanley

    crs Stanley wrote:

     

    Every book i have "purchased" has been opened by my firefox add-on... Acceptance is the answer to your problems

     

    Thanks for that info!  Please provide the title of one of them so that I can try to duplicate your experience on my machine.

  • by _PK_,

    _PK_ _PK_ Nov 16, 2011 4:27 PM in response to crs Stanley
    Level 1 (10 points)
    Nov 16, 2011 4:27 PM in response to crs Stanley

    crs Stanley - Please tell me which Firefox add-on you are using?

     

    Every time I try to do what you are suggesting with one of my Purchased books I get the error message of

    Your ePub-book is protected by Digital Rights Management (DRM). For this reason it can unfortunately not be opened.

     

    For the record - and this should not have had to have been necessary to state - "Purchased" means not free, I've paid real money for it.

     

    I have no problems with reading most of the free books I have obtained from iBooks in Forefox, but anything I've paid jolly good money for - ie, a textbook costing $40 - I can't read or open on my PC in my browser.

  • by Tom Gewecke,

    Tom Gewecke Tom Gewecke Nov 17, 2011 10:01 AM in response to _PK_
    Level 9 (79,395 points)
    Nov 17, 2011 10:01 AM in response to _PK_

    _PK_ wrote:

     

    Every time I try to do what you are suggesting with one of my Purchased books I get the error message of

    Your ePub-book is protected by Digital Rights Management (DRM). For this reason it can unfortunately not be opened.

     

    That is what I see and that is the expected behavior.   Someone who claims otherwise is either a) reading a free book, or b) reading books from one of the very few publishers who don't do DRM, like O'Reilly, or c) removing the DRM before trying to open the book.

  • by writerranger,

    writerranger writerranger Nov 21, 2011 3:45 PM in response to sirgunther
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Nov 21, 2011 3:45 PM in response to sirgunther

    Actually, with the Amazon Kindle books, you can use your Mac as well - you don't have to go to your "Windows side."  You just us the Kindle Cloud Reader. Sign-in at a secure SSL site: https://www.read.amazon.com with a supported browser:

    1. Google Chrome 11 and higher on Linux, MacOS X, and Windows.
    2. Mozilla Firefox 6 and higher on Linux, MacOS X, and Windows.
    3. Safari 5 and higher on MacOS X and Windows.
    4. Safari on iPad with iOS 4.2 and Higher

     

    and.........voila!....there are all of your book covers. You can keep all of your notes, bookmarks, highlights, etc.

     

    I was looking for something similar for iBooks and have discovered it's a no go. Not even an app for the Mac or PC.

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