You are correct! With AOL, yahoo mail, ATT Worldnet + some others, you read your e-mail using your web browser & if there is an attachment, you have to signal the mail server to download it.

I use yahoo mail to check my main e-mail from remote locations (like work, Outlaws house, etc..). With Yahoo, you can scan the attachment for viruses prior to download & deal with it before it is on your machine.
Bill R-4581