My partner has a SP3 and I've spent some time messing around with FLS 12 on it. It worked reasonably well but started to stutter after a few instances of massive and some fx. This was with the basic i5 model.

I recently bought a yoga 3, which is similar to the surface but with a flip keyboard. It has an i7 and haven't run into any issues as of yet. A desktop or beefier laptop is probably ideal but I only wanted to spend around 1100.

The biggest issue I have is screen size. Everything is pretty small on FLS12 with a 13" screen unless you tweak the resolution settings and use scaled mode. With my 27" desktop monitor this isn't an issue.

Nadav does bring up an interesting perspective. Yes, practice definitely goes a long way and is something that I think computer music producers generally don't do in the same way one would practice a traditional instrument. 

With an instrument like the piano or guitar, you just play...there is technique such as proper fingering and timing, but it is different than the usual DAW process. For the most part, you already have your sound (plus or minus a few effects) and can focus on on the melody/chord progression, etc. The recording process comes in later and the minute details can be sorted out at that time.

With a DAW, there is a lot more to worry about before things generally start to sound good. Since you are writing midi notes, I feel this stands out more since whatever you are writing is mildly set in stone. You can edit the notes all you want, but I feel like it takes a bit more effort than fiddling around on a guitar or piano, playing the same little riff until it sounds right. Mentally, if you don't get a riff right after say a guitar practicing session, it's no biggie because it is something in process and not recorded. As soon as you record or write something down, it feels different. It's easier to feel failure if it isn't perfect. For example, think of a time where you have had difficulty writing an email, but could have called the person on the phone and gotten the same message across easier, albeit not as perfect as well crafted prose.

I do; however, think emotion, imagination, and experience has just as much to do with writing good music as practice. That music has to come from somewhere!

Don't feel discouraged.  Writing songs is a bit like working out. Yeah, some people are naturally gifted and can run a 4 minute mile without trying, but most of us have to put in a lot of practice before we can get to that point.

Also, similar to public speaking, you might think you are fully prepared for a presentation, but once you get up to the podium, you get butterflies in your stomach. Writing music is very similar...you might think you have an idea to put down, but once you start doing it, you might realize you can't get down that synth sound you want, can't translate the emotion in your head to midi, or whatever other reason.

To get past this you need to work those particular muscles that are lacking. Having troubles writing a melody?  Read up on the theory behind it and start doing melody drills. The key here being the drills. The general theory is relatively simple and not all that hard to grasp. Putting it into practice; however, is. There are many practice drills to be found online. 

I also recommend watching YouTube videos.  Either duplicate what they are doing or follow along and make your own version of what is going on. Seamlessr is a commonly used example for this.  This guy has some serious skills and is usually pretty interesting to watch.

Throwing the political tones of this thread aside, I also have to adult, work a lot (brainy ethics stuff), and only have an hour, if that a day during the week to focus on music.

Even without words, I think instrumental music can convey strong emotions. Add certain instruments to those emotional tones and mental images will start to form. For example, certain trumpet sounds can sound militaristic, grungy guitars rebellious, harps angelic, etc. Classical and cinematic music is great at this.

Sure, without lyrics, the exact message that you are trying to convey might be lost, but that is also where things get interesting. Just as political views can vary wildly from one person to the next, so does how one perceives music. For example, some people find death metal to be soothing and something they could fall asleep to, while others might find it chaotic and harsh.

It would be interesting to submit listeners to a politically charged instrumental and then survey their perceptions afterwards to see how that correlates to their various political leanings.

A good melody tends to not variate much more than an octave to an octave and a half (not absolute), which is why humming and singing are good tools for writing them.

Try experimenting with writing a cantus firmus (musictheory.net) for starters. Modern music isn't as strict with the rules, but it is helpful.

Rhythm is also important for a good melody. I found the following article helpful for getting ideas: http://www.jazzadvice.com/integrating-new-rhythms-into-your-playing/

I tend to find googling and watching a YouTube video for the sound I'm looking for tends to be more successful than flipping through a bunch of presets. That way, it forces me to learn how the sound is created and also so I can tweak it to taste during the process.

I rarely find the exact sound I'm looking for in presets, but I also don't download or purchase patch banks beyond what is included stock with the synth.

Beyerdynamic 880's with an amp works well for the price. From what I've found, it's going to cost a lot more money for the next steps up.

I took piano lessons for 12 years when I was younger. Also play guitar, bass guitar, and tummy drums.

I learned piano initially via the Suzuki method, so a firm grasp on music theory and sight reading didn't come until recently.

Production, in my mind, is a different beast than simply being able to play. My knowledge in piano has definitely helped a lot, but analyzing songs and gaining a deeper understanding of music theory has helped me more.