"but to say that nothing good or new has come out in the last 40+ years is not accurate."
Indeed, and I didn't say it. But what has come out, all of it almost, is evolutionary, very little being revolutionary. And there's always the KISS principle - what isn't there can't go wrong! I will be straight up and say that actives for me sound awful - a step away from whatever natural tone the bass might have, and a failure point (not to mention that active tone control was only ever a part of that - the primary reason Alembic did it at first was to drive the cable, reducing high-end loss). Others disagree, no problems. I just have yet to play a bass that, all round, is as good as a Fender P. Vigier necks for instance, are wondrous! So I'd like a 20-fret one stuck on my P-bass, please. Can't get one, of course. So stick with the Big F it is, then.
At the end of the day, it's what suits each player. But as the thread starter said, Precisions are great all-rounders, and will be for decades to come, very likely.