Comment by andrewia

There has always been a trade-off between modularity and size. Each card is effectively a USB-C/Thunderbolt dongle, so they need to be big enough to fit a reasonable amount of electronics (like 1TB of NAND, or an Ethernet IC) plus the shell and connectors. If your needs are basic (just USB, 3.5mm, 1x HDMI etc.) then you should get the Thinkpad. But if you want modularity for special cases (e.g. triple HDMI, double Ethernet, or triple MicroSD readers) or if you like to move your ports to alternating sides of your laptop, then the Framework's expansion system is for you. Framework is inherently a compromise between thickness and modularity (also why I assume it uses an internal battery) in a 14" portable laptop. Perhaps a new generation could shoehorn in a non-card USB-C port, although that would break their design rule that all ports support Thunderbolt.