In the new version, the ‘basic’ layout is no longer basic.
Instead of parentheses, there are up and down arrow symbols that are difficult for a basic user to understand and use.
The square root and x² operations have disappeared along with pi.
Also the dropdown menu near x and f(x) are difficult to understand for a basic user like me.
It seems to me that some functions from the ‘advanced’ layout have been dropped in the ‘basic’ layout, making it almost unusable.
If anyone needs those advanced functions, they can use the advanced layout.
If you also think the old layout was better, please subscribe to my bug report:
I’m using it very often. It is very handy and from the time they fixed the size issues is night and day for me. I’m using the advanced layout. Coming across your post I gave a try for the basic layout. I like the one button parentheses option along with that of powers and subscripts for logs (yes not the most basic aspect), yet powers are handy I think. The square root removed might be an issue, yet from f(x)→sundry sqrt(x) is there.
To be fair, it was GNOME who redesigned it, not the Ubuntu Desktop Team. File a wishlist bug at https://gitlab.gnome.org/GNOME/gnome-calculator if you want it to go anywhere as it certainly isn’t an Ubuntu discussion.
Until such time as the gnome devs restore the old layout for gnome-calculator, you could install the gnome-calculator from the snap store to use it with the more recent Ubuntu releases. It’s at version 48.1 and uses the old layout. Put an indefinite refresh hold it, and it’ll stay at that version with that layout for a long while.
