BigTipper was a restaurant tip and bill-splitting calculator from PureBlend Software. The archived July 15, 2008 listing describes entering a bill amount, choosing a gratuity percentage and dividing the total among a group.
This guide reconstructs the historical app. Its original price, current download availability and compatibility with modern iPhones have not been verified.
A calculation you can inspect as you go
The surviving description says the totals updated as the amount was entered, with sliders for the percentage and number of people. It also mentions formatting appropriate to a user’s locale. Those choices aimed to reduce the amount of typing involved in a small, practical calculation.
The advantage of an immediate result is that you can notice a misplaced digit before reaching the end of a form. However, a fast answer is only useful if the input is the amount you intended. Keep the starting bill visible while checking the result.
Agree on the question first
For an equal split, the group needs a shared understanding of what is being divided. A calculation based on the whole bill is different from a calculation based on selected items. Decide which question you are answering before adjusting the controls.
Likewise, the percentage is a choice supplied to the calculator, not a conclusion the calculator can make for you. This historical article does not prescribe a tipping rate or claim that one custom applies in every location.
Use a small example to check the interface
An easy verification is to try round numbers before relying on a result. With a starting amount of 100 and a chosen addition of 10 percent, the total is 110. Split equally between two people, that is 55 each. This arithmetic example explains the workflow without adding a feature to BigTipper’s documented list.
Rounding deserves attention when the total does not divide evenly. Check that the individual amounts add back to the intended group total. An interface can make this easier by showing both the overall amount and the share together.
BigTipper’s historical appeal was its narrow focus: enter one bill, adjust a few choices and inspect the result. The PureBlend developer credit distinguishes this original app from later calculators with similar names.