Well, an internal SATA M.2 drive would be faster. Possibly an external drive tying up the laptop’s USB-C port would be plenty fast, but then that port is tied up. A bigger factor is that it’s just one more external accessory (I also got a dock for this puppy) to haul around, keep secure, and keep track of, esp. if travelling.
Good points I had considered but ‘quick and easy’ gets high points in my world. Pros and cons need to be weighed.