In short the first method you referenced is the guideline for effective/efficient light design.

The first method gives the most even lighting across the whole island

The second method will concentrate the light slightly towards the middle of the island. If you have can lights at the end of the island, this might be what you want.

Make sure the pendants spread enough so you aren't working in a dim spot.

Try the GW trick for starters: hang two balloons from string and see how each placement looks. How big is your island? Will two lights be sufficient for illumination?

Thank you all for your responses!

SaltLife631, that's what I thought and why I was worried about doing method number 2.

Lazygardens-I think we have enough cans. Our kitchen seems bright enough now without the pendants up. I'd hate to have a shadowy working area.

Deedles- Great suggestion on the balloons. Our island is long--101 inches, but our pendants are also big - 15 inches across. Once we tried the balloons and looked at the space, splitting the island in half and in half again made the large pendants too close to the edges of the island. So we have opted for option number 2 which seems to look the best in our space.

Thanks again everyone!!

Nice! Gotta love the easy answers, right? Now, don't forget to post some pics when you are done!