Can a non-Mac read an ibookstore ePub book?

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Level 1

4 points

Can a non-Mac read an ibookstore ePub book?

I have published an iBook on iBookstore (which book can only be read by iBook) and then there was a lot of hullaballoo about iBooks Author now being able to create ePubs. I was therefore under the impression that I my ePub version would then be readable by non-Mac readers only to find after I published it that it too requires IOS and MacOSX. So what was the point of my going to all that work to make an ePub version of something all iOS and MacOX computers can already read? Is the iBook Author ePub usable by other digital publishing complanies??

Posted on Sep 10, 2017 9:05 AM

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Answer 1

Top-ranking reply

RCAustin

Level 4

1,151 points

Sep 13, 2017 9:55 PM in response to Dean Helm

DRM is applied when you deliver through iTunes Producer (if you select DRM Free) and has nothing to do with your EPUB prior to delivering to the iBooks Store.

Prior to iOS 8.4, the only books that could be read on an iPhone was an EPUB. Back then, book developers would have to create an EPUB version if they wanted to read their book on iPhone, and a more feature rich multi-touch (.ibooks) version. iPads have always been able to read .epub and .ibooks formats.

iOS 8.4.3 was the first version of iOS to allow an iPhone to view .ibooks format.

iBooks Author now has the ability to produce .ibooks (Apple Only) and also .epub formatted books. If you used a multi-touch template, you will have a .ibooks formatted book. If you used an .epub template in iBooks Author, you can publish or export to .epub and that book can be uploaded and read on other platforms or readers that read .epub formatted books.

If you export your .epub from iBooks Author it does not have DRM applied to it. If you want your .epub book created with iBooks Author to be read on other platform, upload the .epub file to the other platforms and download it on your non-Mac, or non-iOS device. You can also share it or download it from your non Apple devices directly. The quality of the way the .epub is rendered on the non Apple devices will depend on how good the reader is.

Non Mac computers don't have access to the iBooks Store anyway.

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Answer 2

Tom Gewecke

Level 10

122,490 points

Sep 12, 2017 8:27 AM in response to Dean Helm

Dean Helm wrote:

I was therefore under the impression that I my ePub version would then be readable by non-Mac readers only to find after I published it that it too requires IOS and MacOSX.

Could you elaborate on how you determined that your epub could not be read by epub readers on other platforms?

If you had apple add DRM, then still only Apple devices can read it.

Without DRM, it should work.

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Answer 3

Tom Gewecke

Level 10

122,490 points

Sep 14, 2017 3:40 AM in response to Dean Helm

Dean Helm wrote:

is this just a CYA statement on the part of Apple - other platforms CAN read it - but it may not be as good as if one used an Apple device...

Yes, that's correct. Note that it still requires an epub reader on another platform. Kindles, for example, do not read epubs without them being converted to another format first.

RCAustin is correct, of course, that the DRM issue only arises when you put your book in the iBookstore.

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Answer 4

Tom Gewecke

Level 10

122,490 points

Sep 14, 2017 6:58 AM in response to RCAustin

RCAustin wrote:

Non Mac computers don't have access to the iBooks Store anyway.

I think Windows machines running iTunes for Windows can download books from the iBookstore for forwarding to iOS or other devices. Although the latest version makes it harder

iBooks in iTunes on PC

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Answer 5

Dean Helm Author

Level 1

4 points

Sep 13, 2017 9:22 PM in response to Tom Gewecke

Hi Tom,

Well - I re-published my book DRM-free - and while I no longer get this note below my book:

"To view this book, you must have an iPad with iBooks 2 or later and iOS 5 or later or an iPhone with iOS.8.4 or later, or a Mac with OSX 10.9 or later."

I'm not sure the new message which I now get is really making me 100% hopeful. The note now says:

"This book was designed for an iOS device and some features may not work as intended with a mouse or trackpad. to view this book, you must have an iOS device iBooks 1.5 or later and iOS 5.0 or later."

So it still seems like an ePub using iBook Author can't be read on other platforms...or is this just a CYA statement on the part of Apple - other platforms CAN read it - but it may not be as good as if one used an Apple device...

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