More and More people ask me, how to read iBooks ePUB on Mac/PC, the most problem is Apple inc not publish the iBooks for Mac/PC version, everybody just can read the books on iPad, iPhone, iPod with iBooks app, but can't read iBooks for Mac/PC.
Update on Jun 11:
Apple said they are going to release iBooks for Mac on OS X 10.9 Mavericks this Autumn, it will be pretty close to its mobile counterpart. You'll be able to read and shop for books on your Mac. The app seems to work pretty much as it does on iOS, but it's good to finally see it available for Mac users.
The only setback for reading iBooks is that we are not having iBooks for PC client yet. Nevertheless, we can do some tricks to get iBooks for PC.
1 If you're not sure if iCloud for iBooks is enabled (understandable, since you only see it the first time you open iBooks, and there's no setting within the app), go to System Preferences → iCloud, then click 'Options' next to iCloud Drive. Look for iBooks in the list. If it's checked, you're using iCloud for iBooks. IBooks is default reader and manager of books in electronic form for Mac OS X operating system. It allows users to read EPUB books or PDF documents as well as purchase and download e-books from iTunes on-line book store.
Here are two methods helps you read iBooks ePUB on Mac/PC.
Tips:
1. Transfer iBooks ePUB for Mac (for free books)
Anybody use Apple Devices must have installed iTunes, Authorize iTunes with your Apple ID, and connect iPad/iPhone/iPod to your computer(Mac/PC), then you will find the iBooks Books as bellow.
Choose an eBook then right click on it, select Copy, then you can copy them to your computer.
For reading the copied iBooks ePUB for Mac, you need install an ePUB Reader for Mac, the best is Adobe Digital Editions.
Note: If the books have DRM, it will blank when read ePUB on Mac. You need remove DRM from iBooks ePUB at first.
2. Remove DRM
Requiem 3.35 can helps you remove DRM from iBooks ePUB.
Step 1, Make sure this book's DRM can be decrypted, how to do this? Right click on the book's cover, click 'Get Info', if you can see the words 'Fairplay Version: 2', then you can read it on Mac by removing the DRM;
Step 2, Download the tool Requiem 3.3.5, because of the copyright problem, we can't offer the download link to you;
Step 3, Run iBooks DRM Removal tool Requiem to remove DRM from iBooks ePUB, then you can read the iBooks ePUB on Mac/PC or other supported devices.
Step 4, Find you books in your local drive, you can get the path information in iTunes.
Success, now the protected iBooks turn to normal ePub, you can read it by Adobe Digital Editions on Mac.
Attention: All the content above are just for computer technology communication, not for commercial use. And no tool related to decrypt iBooks is provided here. If you have any problems with the content above, please contact us.
If you are using Kobo Reader, Sony eReader, Google eReader etc, you can choose ePUB DRM Removal for Mac for removing DRM.
Read iBooks for Mac Video Guide:
View on YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2vQ5PWa161k
Ada Wang works for Epubor and writes articles for a collection of blogs such as ebookconverter.blogspot.com.
If you are both a Mac user and an eBook fan, you might feel like experienced a roller coaster. The Apple’s WWDC 2013 announcement of iBooks coming to the Mac with OS X 10.9 Mavericks brought a breath of fresh air, but quickly destroyed by the application itself.
The capabilities of iBooks for Mac app is under Apple's average level, 8 out of 10 threads discussing iBooks for Mac app are full of complaints. Therefore we are facing this problem: We need another app for reading on Mac to replace iBooks for Mac, that is to say, we need an iBooks for Mac alternative.
Here is the list of best iBooks for Mac alternatives for you readers. (PS: Official reader apps from eBook retailers like Amazon, Sony, Nook, Kobo, etc.. are not included)
Calibre
When we talk about eBook software, Calibre always comes at first, and this time will be no exception.
Every coin has two sides, with so many recommendations and applauses, it is also the symbol of capable but ugly, not user-friendly softwares.
No matter you like it or not, the truth that Calibre is the ONLY software which could completely replace iBooks for Mac cannot be denied. Its magnificant features of eBooks management, eBook sync, eBook edit and eBook conversion are all great, even greater than iTunes.
But Mac users have a sense of beauty, if you are looking for an app to read an eBook gracefully, Calibre is out of your list.
Price: Free from Calibre Official Site
Adobe Digital Editions
This is a must-have app if you are reading EPUB and PDF books protected by Adobe DRM, to know that over 2/3 popular eBook retailers are using Adobe DRM protection, then you would understand the must-have better.
Ibook Mac Os 9.2
The UI design of Adobe Digital Editions is simple while keeps all the necessary features of an eBook reader app. What's more it enables people to manage the library in basic ways and even syncs eBooks between the devices which support Adobe DRM protected EPUB and PDF files.
However, as long as you have Adobe DRM protected books, this app is the one you have to use.
Download Ibooks For Mac
Price: Free from Adobe
ClearView
This is a light app developed by canoe software, it is an easy-to-use eBook reader app which supports eBooks management base on library shelf, and reads eBook formats as DRM-free PDF, EPUB, CHM and Mobi.
As an eBook Reader, it enables people to make annotations, insert bookmarks and search works for definitions. And the support for both EPUB and Mobi attracts many users as many apps only suppot EPUB and PDF. Considering the Mobi stands for Kindle books, that is a big advantage.
And ther is one thing we need to pay attention, if we directly drag an eBook file into the app's interface, nothing is gonna happen. It requires us to drag the entire folder into the app, and the flaw is it won't filter those non-eBook files, which is not user-friendly enough.
All in all, it is an elegant, tiny but handy app for reading variours formats of eBooks on Mac. And just inform that in my test, this app crashed a lot under Mac OS X 10.9 Mavericks.
Price: $9.99 from AppStore, free trial is available on the official site.
Kitabu
This is the last app I recommend in this post, and the reason why I put it in the last place is simple, it is inferior than the apps above.
The biggest advantage of this app is free, but Adobe Digital Editions is also free while ADE is more stable and supports Adobe DRMed EPUB and PDF books.
In the aspect of capability, it supports fewer formats than ClearView, and the UI design is also not delicate enough, makes people feel like it just adopts everything native in Mac's developer library. At the first time I run this app, I can't even get noticed it is ready to work.
On the whole, if you want a free, light (2MB) and stable (crashes rarely under Mavericks) app to read DRM-free EPUB, you can choose kitabu.
Price: Free from AppStore
Tip: If your original file is Mobi but want to use Adobe Digital Editions or Kitabu, you can convert online for free, and vice versa.
Jonny Greenwood joined Epubor since 2011, loves everything about eBooks and eReaders. He seeks the methods to read eBooks more freely and wants to share all he has got with you.