IBM accompanied the US announcement of the 3090E mainframe models with a trade-in option on all models of the 3380 disk drive prior to the D and double capacity E models. Users who return their old 3380s to IBM prior to May 1 will get a $16,000 rebate on the price of a new one, and the deal is attractive because on the used market, early model 3380s have been fetching only about $15,000, and large lot consignments have been going for as little as $10,000 apiece. The offer is seen as a clear-the-decks move ahead of announcement of faster channels, a new 3880 controller, and most likely new 3380 models, which are expected to be announced in March for first deliveries during the second quarter of 1987.