Microsoft shares its '12 Days of Deals' for 2016 Holiday Shopping -- here's which days are best

Well folks, December is here, and before you know it, Christmas and other holidays will be upon us. You know what that means -- shopping. For some ultra-responsible people, their holiday shopping is already done. For many other people, however, there are still many gifts to buy.

Technology-related gifts are always popular, and this year Microsoft is rolling out some great deals. In fact, unlike Black Friday which only lasts one day, the Windows-maker is offering a mind-boggling "12 Days of Deals". Many of the deals are available both online or at Microsoft's retail stores, but the ones labeled "In-Store Doorbuster Deal" are only available in the latter. While you can see all of the deals below, lets dive in and see which are the best.

Day 1 (Dec. 5): Intel Day -- Save Up to $1,000 on select Intel PCs starting at $199.

In-Store Doorbuster Deal: Save $50 on a JBL Flip 2, now only $19.99

Uh oh. On day number one, we see the dreaded "up to" caveat -- this means many of the discounts will be much less than $1,000. In other words, do not get too excited. The JBL Flip 2 for $20 is a great deal, however, and is worth a trip to your local Microsoft Store.

Day 2 (Dec. 6): Save $100 on Lenovo Ideapad 110, now only $199

In-Store Doorbuster Deal: Biggest savings of the year on the FitBit Blaze

On day two we see a rather anemic laptop for $199. While the price is attractive, the machine will disappoint. Fitbit Blaze? Meh. Skip this day.

Day 3 (Dec. 7): Save 50 percent on Select Xbox One games, now $19.99

In-Store Doorbuster Deal: Get a $50 Microsoft Store gift card with purchase of a 12-month subscription with Groove Music

On day 3 there is a discount on "select" games. This is probably code for "not popular". But OK, if you are a gamer, you may be able to find some well-priced titles. This could be a great way to get some inexpensive stocking-stuffers for the gamer in your life.

Groove Music is actually a pretty decent streaming music service -- a $50 discount is a great deal. Yeah, this is worth the car ride.

Day 4 (Dec. 8): Save $250 on Surface Core M Devices, now $649

In-Store Doorbuster Deal: Get a $25 Microsoft Store gift card with the purchase of a 12-month subscription with Xbox Live Gold

On day four we see a discount on Core M Surface computers. You know what? These Intel processors are actually quite peppy, so it is worth a look. The $25 gift card for buying a year of Xbox Live Gold is not a good deal -- you can do better elsewhere online if you look around.

Day 5 (Dec. 9): Save up to 70 percent on select Windows tablets, starting at $49

In-Store Doorbuster Deal: Save $120 on a Lumia 650, now only $79

Low-cost Windows tablets? Windows Phones? You do not want these for yourself. You don't want to give them as gifts either. Don't bother on day five.

Day 6 (Dec. 10): Save up to $250 on the Windows Premium Collection, starting at $499

In-Store Doorbuster Deal: Biggest savings of the year on Office 365 Home

Day six is far too vague, so I would forgo making a trip to the retail store and just shopping online this day. Maybe there will be a good deal, but since Microsoft is so quiet about this day, I would guess not.

Day 7 (Dec. 11): Get a $25 Microsoft Store gift card/code with purchase of select Xbox Wireless Controllers

In-Store Doorbuster Deal: Save $120 on select Xbox One consoles (500 GB consoles), now $179

Yes, day seven looks to be a winner. If you are buying an Xbox One for a young casual gamer, you can save some money by buying an older model with less storage capacity -- they probably won't mind. Buy an extra controller so they can play with a friend and get a gift card. Nice deal.

Day 8 (Dec. 12): Save $50 and get two free select games with select Xbox One consoles

In-Store Doorbuster Deal: Be one of the first customers in line to get a $25 Microsoft Store gift card

Ugh. Microsoft does not share how many cards they have to giveaway, so you could end up waiting in line and missing out. Quite frankly, your time should be worth more than that -- don't stress yourself for the mere possibility of a free $25 card.

The day eight Xbox One discount doesn't sound as good as day seven, but if it is, you can always return what you bought on the prior day. I would suggest just being happy with your day seven Xbox buy and just skip day eight altogether.

Day 9 (Dec. 13): Get a $100 Microsoft Store gift card/code with purchase of HTC Vive or Oculus Rift

In-Store Doorbuster Deal: Biggest savings of the year on FitBit Charge HR

Both the HTC Vive and Oculus Rift are incredible virtual reality platforms -- saving $100 is great, right? Yes, but make sure you compare to other sites first. Microsoft will likely charge you tax too, meaning a better deal could possibly be had elsewhere. Fitbits are great, but the offer is too vague.

Day 10 (Dec. 14): Save up to $1,000 on select Intel powered gaming PCs, starting at $799

In-Store Doorbuster Deal: Get Quantum Break, Halo 5 and Forza Motorsport 6 for $19.99

Again, saying "up to" doesn't really tell us much. Still, there may be some good online deals. The in-store deal is much better, as all three of those titles are popular and should make great gifts -- just make sure the recipient doesn't already have them.

Day 11 (Dec. 15): Save up to 40 percent on select Dell PCs, starting at $199

In-Store Doorbuster Deal: Save $150 on an Acer Jade Primo, now $299

See above about "up to" -- shop cautiously online. The in-store "deal" of a $300 Windows Phone should be avoided.

Day 12 (Dec. 16): Get a type cover with any Surface Pro 4 for up to $159.99 in savings

In-Store Doorbuster Deal: Be one of the first customers in line to get a $50 Microsoft Store gift card

Day 12 is probably my favorite day of them all. The Surface Pro 4 is an amazing computer, and getting a free Type Cover is a great value. The free $50 gift card is icing on the cake, but again, Microsoft does not share how many cards each store will offer. You could end up waiting in line and not getting one. I think $50 is worth the gamble, however.

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