How can I get iWork and iLife on an older Mac?

Generally you won't be able to use another computer's restore

install DVDs to install software on a different computer.

For several reasons, one is those original software discs were

for the build model year of the computer they accompanied.

The other is, they constitute a license for the software under

certain conditions, and are part of the end user agreement.

You could find iLife and iWorks versions online that would work

with an older Mac computer, perhaps second-hand sources or

other sources of new-old-stock product. amazon hosts several

different products along this line that are vintage or obsolete to

the computer user community for whatever the traffic will bear.

The computer may be able to use a retail Snow Leopard DVD

that costs about $20. from the Apple Store online, in stock...

You upgraded to Lion via the Mac App Store...

So the DVD for Snow Leopard from the other Mac worked? 😐

A search for amazon stores where their affiliates may have these kinds of product on original retail DVD media would be a fair way to find a source; and then you'd have to choose from whatever is available now. Or wait and keep looking until you find the product and version, at what may seem to be a good price to you. Some of these may be reputable sites or links to actual resellers who have a physical store somewhere, in addition to an online presence.

The older iWorks '09 and iLife '09 on DVD media, in retail form, were generally better fuller versions of these software suites than the downloadable ones; at least more recently speaking. So they are sought after. Because of the iDVD gone missing from the iLife '11 on DVD, the older '09 is desired by those who want to use iDVD along with iMovie to burn the movie to a DVD. Of course, some buy an iDVD or other software that can burn a file to DVD; but that is another story.

As a user-to-user discussion, where volunteers without a connection to Apple generally would reply to questions within guidelines and limitations, (see terms ASC of use) some topics don't get a reply if they fall outside of the guidelines. Or if they do, a recommendation to try a more suitable and lawful method than one suggested by a visitor. The correct way to upgrade an older Mac to a later OS X would be the prescribed method and tools available through channels, the end user license for earlier software has proof in the holding of the physical DVD or CD media. Or a tie-in via the Apple ID and the online store, for later Macs that progress past traditional DVD or disc media. The use of someone elses installer copies, or backups, is not supported use of their end user license.

At this point, unless someone has specific links to ebay, amazon, or software resellers online who are not illegal download sites with adware, genieo, or other kinds of badware included, I am through.

A search at amazon.com can bring up exceptionally long results URLs...

http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Dcomputers&field-keywor ds=Apple+iLife+%2709+Apple+iWork+%2709&rh=n%3A541966%2Ck%3AApple+iLife+%2709+App le+iWork+%2709

Good luck & happy computing! 🙂

edited

Another amazon search for their links to current available

stocks of iLife '09 & iWork '09 may take this kind of path:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/search/ref=sr_gnr_aps?rh=i%3Aaps%2Ck%3AApple+iLife+%270 9+Apple+iWork+%2709&keywords=Apple+iLife+%2709+Apple+iWork+%2709&ie=UTF8&qid=140 3000478

Some resellers such as powermax, welovemacs, and others who have

been around awhile may have some retail old-stock while others may

have pre-owned original media on DVD. Such as iLife, iWork, & others.

{If you choose to sell or trade your old Mac, it would need to have a legal system with it

and a thumbdrive copy of someone else's system backup installer is not correct; and

that is why a retail $20 Snow Leopard DVD from Apple is the first step, then the free

download Combo update for Snow Leopard 10.6.8 v.1.1 brings it up to date; then it can

go to the App Store, Mac App Store, or iTunes Store online for further update/upgrade

in the legitimate fashion. These update/upgrades are then tied to the Apple ID of the

user owner, and these upgrades do not follow the hardware (computer) to the next

owner if the path was physical DVD retail or original grey label restore install disc set.}

The copies of original retail or included media are supposed to stay with a computer

when sold, traded or retired. Or the upgrades of one user may be deleted and an

original-state setup can be instituted by use of OS X Recovery in a newer Mac.

So it is good to have a way to correctly upgrade and repair the installed system in use

in the computer, since a bootable installer works to set up a new hard disk drive as

well as repair issues in a working computer. Anyway...

Good luck! 🙂

https://discussions.apple.com/docs/DOC-1707 should help you at least find the right iLife for your Mac.