Starbucks Shows Simplicity Prevails in New Logo

When I first heard that Starbucks was launching a new logo I was surprised. Why would a brand as ubiquitous as Starbucks feel the need to update a logo that has so clearly been part of its success?  Perhaps you had the same thought. Imagine for a moment if you will that Nike had decided to revamp its swoosh? Why mess with something that works?

But then again I suppose all things evolve, logos included.  You'll see in the illustration to the right that the new Starbucks logo is more of a lineart version without the Starbucks Coffee name on it. From a branding standpoint this seems silly to me. When does a company ever want to use just a symbol to market itself versus its name? Sure many Starbucks fans may be able to spot the logo and render what it it - but what about the rest of the population? If they were not aware of or a customer of Starbucks before the new logo how will this convince them?

I completely understand and support the concept of simplicity but personally, I think they should have kept Starbucks Coffee in the logo and just evolved the artwork as they have done in the past. What are your thoughts?