Layout simulation for keyboards

The oldest element on any personal computer is the keyboard: its design (the spatial position of the keys in relation to each other) and its layout (the assignment of letters, numerals, and other signs to keys). The are exactly the same as on the first typewriters of over 100 years ago or are they? The layout has been the topic of improvement for more than 70 years but no real change has materialized. We contribute to the efforts of layout reformers in Pollatschek et al. (1986). In this paper, we introduce a simple simulation tool for evaluating layout, while in an accompanying communication we advise on a cheap and effective way to convert any given layout to any desired one.