Hearing about a 4D mouse may cause visions of Stephen Hawking to sweep through the mind. No, this mouse does not point to the 4th dimension of time, but it might save you some. The abbreviation 4D refers to four directional. A 4D mouse can scroll a page both vertically and horizontally; or up/down and left/right.

Scrolling is an extremely useful function, especially when surfing the Internet. Most websites require visitors to repeatedly click the tiny up/down window arrows or drag the vertical bar in order to scroll down the page. A 4D mouse makes this repetitive and somewhat bothersome task as easy as rolling a ball with your fingertip. And if the page doesn't fit in your view horizontally, that's no problem either. Just use the horizontal rollerball to view the content.

The advantage of a 4D mouse having two rollerballs is useful not only online but also in spreadsheet applications and graphics programs. A 4D mouse is also great for positioning the mouse quickly in gaming, or for drawing large designs in programs like Auto-Cad.

Studies have shown that repetitive motions like clicking a mouse button can cause carpel tunnel syndrome and soreness of the fingers. For those who spend only a few hours or less each day on a computer, this might not be an issue. However, for the millions of people that spend eight or more hours a day at the screen, a 4D mouse can be very beneficial. Once you've tried a 4D mouse, you will likely never use a regular mouse again.

Aside from physical relief, scrolling with a 4D mouse is far easier and faster than clicking an arrow repeatedly or dragging a scroll bar. The screen moves smoothly and can be stopped effortlessly at any position by ceasing the scrolling motion. No more "screen jumping" when the mouse accidentally slides off the arrow or vertical bar.

Other features of a 4D mouse might include programmable buttons that can be used for Back and Forward page functions or other tasks. A 4D mouse can be wired, wireless, or optical. Many laptops have a 4D mouse pad built into the keyboard. Running the finger horizontally along the bottom edge of the pad scrolls the screen left and right, while running it up or down along the right edge of the pad scrolls vertically. Some manufacturers of keyboards, such as Adesso, offer desktop keyboards with built-in 4D mouse pads.

If you spend several hours a day on a computer, you might want to give a 4D mouse a try. At prices starting at less than US$10, the only thing you have to lose is the inconvenience of not having it!