A big issue everyone had with Windows Vista were the hardware requirements. Windows Vista was often mistakenly labelled as a slow and sluggish operating system, simply because it was being installed on insufficient hardware. Microsoft has not forgotten this mistake, especially with Windows 8.
As more information continues to leak, we now hear from AngelWZR (via Twitter) about a new AeroLite UI. AngelWZR managed to get a screenshot of the Windows 8 AeroLite theme files, as well as some information on the user interface:
Generally, Windows 8 Aerolight [Aerolite] theme looks a lot like Metro UI in some parts. It’s very flat, as I can say looking to resources from it.
AngelWZR also reiterated that the buttons and other features are similar to those in WP7, except different colours are being used.
Source: Windows 8 to have AeroLite UI featuring the "Metro" look from WP7 | Windows 8 Center