Definitely good points you are making, but his art has also variously been described as soulless or things to that effect, because he can perfectly play a musical piece or make an almost photorealistic painting, but struggles to go beyond surface concepts (not to mention when he is asked to sculpt music).

Though ultimately i would agree that data is not the best example, because as you said he sometimes gets a taste of what he is lacking, and also, because he has an actual consciousness.