We report for the first time on the study of electron scattering in th
ree-dimensional continuous laser beams by a computer simulation techni
que with emphasis on investigating the transition from conventionally
elastic to inelastic scattering. The crucial factors for an inelastic
scattering are found to be the strength of laser fields (Q = eA/m(e)c(
2) > 0.1) and small incident angles (theta much less than pi/4).