You can dim the fingerprint reader from the BIOS settings to what I consider acceptable levels, though I hate that blue is the LED color of choice for so many things. I buy stickers to dim them in the office and bedroom.
I didn't have problems with the foam that the author did. I did have some initial boot issues where nothing happened for a few attempts. They quickly went away for whatever reason on their own.
I can't speak to battery life, my use-case keeps the laptop on power most of the time, so I set the charge percentage to 60% in the BIOS per it's recommendation to save long-term battery health.
It's too early to feel like it's a 100% solid, but it's good enough for me to use as the daily driver. I knew what I was getting into when I ordered it. I know it'll get much better within a short time. No intentions of looking back for me. I am very happy with my purchase.