Notes and history written down on top of each hive saves a lot of electricity and greenhouse gas. I use a whiteboard marker gives you a couple of years for each box.
It doesn't get washed off with the rain or when you rub on it?
Use a China Marker, or what some call a grease pencil. You can find them in stationary stores.
We write straight on top of the hive lid. It doesn't wash away and you can write even when it is raining.
We have been experimenting with Hive Tracks. So far we like it, though there is a host of usability features they could improve. We have experimented with BeeTight, but... it's even more awkward.
You can export your data out of Hive Tracks, by the way.
Notes on each hive is great info. The "brick method" is helpful. But there is nothing like a written record, in one place, to see trends over time or get a quick "look" at all your hives (we have hives in multiple locations). I.e., I don't have to drive to my hives to get a reminder of what I did there.
Try Hive Tracks.