This is old. Dozens of people have asked the same question, and they got the same answer:
1. use a forum's search feature before asking
2. no, it is not new, mIRC has always been shareware, you have always had to pay for it
3. Khaled needs income so he can continue developing and improving mIRC instead of wasting time on a 9-to-5 job
4. it's not lame, it's perfectly normal to pay for stuff. Nothing is ever free
